Rooting for you
by XLUFERX
Summary: Is funny you know? I saw light then darkness only to see a blurry world around me. Remove the blurriness and you see a world that wasn't supposed to exist. Let's see if I can place myself at the top of it…. What? Honestly, what did you expect from me? What did you want from me? Well forget it, this is my life and my own story, I do whatever I want with it
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, that right belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

 _ **AN: Wow I can't beleive it but I'm actually doing this, Oh hello there! I really hope you enjoy my story and first on this great website, obviosly this is a SI/OC but with my personal touch. O I will say some things**_

 _ **1\. I'm not a complete rookie or noob or newbie whatever you want to call it, I actually have experience in writting; I write in another website afterr all.**_

 _ **2\. English is not my first language but I know enough to do not make horrible mistake such as your being the same as you're or those kinfd of things, after all I have a cambridge certificate. ;D**_

 _ **3\. i LIKE CRITICISM but there is a diferrence bewteen critcisim and outright insults and offenses.**_

 _ **4\. Umm I gues that's all for now**_

 _ **Happy reading!**_

* * *

 **07-01-2017**

 **HA! Those are good numbers but after putting much thought I realized how bad it was the first chapter and needed a complete rewrite to make it more appealing, after all the first chapter is the introductory to your story and the older version looked mediocre like any mediocre writer in this site with not much effort. So I came back and did a complete rewrite keeping the original idea, obviosly not the story but just this chapter and the next chapter will be revised and more words added to make it better. I feel proud of this chapter you know?**

* * *

 _'Where am I?'_

I couldn't tell neither think or speculate the amount of time that had already passed; yet being able to properly gather my thoughts on my head as for being able to look the world and hear it brought a big relief and joy to me. Being in that imcompresinhible state of mind and body had been a complete nightmarish experience.

It was like I had all the possible disabilities.

But it was over and it was all that mattered, a rule which I always applied in my life was to move on. Don't deal too much with the past and simply keep going on the road of life and so did I.

Having recovered my sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste; I didn't lose my time moping around and proceeded to look my surroundings trying to learn as much as possible of my whereabouts because the moment I recovered my sight I had no clue at all unconsciously asking that question.

For starters I found myself on a surprisingly comfy bed, my skin felt the softness of the blankets as my head enjoyed the comfiness of the pillow but I couldn't stop ignoring the heat coming from that specifically place, being in the same position for a certain period of time could be uncomfortable thanks to the heat emanated and the only solution was to turn the pillow and repeat as many times necessaries.

However I found myself unable to do it, not because I my limbs were restrained against my will quite the opposite all of them had their freedom yet at the same time they didn't. I knew I was moving my arms but their movements were too simple and everytime I tried to do a complex movement that arms felt strange and a bit stingy. Not only that but moving my head also was a bit more difficult, it was heavier than I could remember and it bothered me how I didn't notice at first especially the moment I had been checking my surroundings or probably didn't put much thought into it the moment I found the first thing out of place.

Yet I knew that overthinking things without proof or facts wouldn't do much good, I had the obligation to know what was happening so with some effort I was able to pull out my arm from the comfortable blankets and brought it up to my eyes or at least as much as I could.

I blinked several times at the sight in front of me, the first ones were mostly to shake off the confusion and the rest were to hope to see another thing rather than the truth.

My hand was too small.

Ridiculously small and plump along that my fingers couldn't move one by one, I tried many times but they always moved together giving the nervous and uncomfortable sensation on my tiny hand with tiny joints.

I had the urge to scream my lungs out for the sole reason of much I was freaking out. But I was stopped by my own lungs provoking me to violently cough.

It was painful, but I was glad that the pain snapped me from my self induced trance which probably could have ended up harming me.

In a way I was far more calm than before yet I could hear my heart mercilessly pound against my chest, as my eyes moved frantically in all possible directions discovering more thing that I missed for losing my focus so easily with the first problem.

My bed had a wooden fence all around the borders, perhaps it was not a fence that could make me feel like a midget but if I were to roll around I wouldn't be able to fall from the bed. Through the bars I saw a lot of stuff, varying from small and funny looking furniture to colorful tools and toys which only purpose were to entertain babies.

The situation got out of hand throwing me out of my comfort zone, I simple couldn't hope to cope with the realization that I was trapped inside a baby's body, the size of my hands only pointed to that and then the kind of bed and my surroundings; unless everything was just a terrible dream or some sort of joke. But the pain felt real, I could clearly remember the pain from my lungs when I was about to freak out.

However everything going through my mind came to a halt when I heard a very familiar clicking noise that could only come from a door, which silently told me that people was finally coming inside. I was filled with both relief and anxiety; for one side I could get some answers for the clusterfuck that I was currently feeling but on the other hand who was the person or persons which opened the door?

My head turned to the source of noise but with the little mobility I possessed on my body simply couldn't complete the action forcing me to rely on my eyes and how much perception m baby's eyes could give.

"Do you think he is awake?"

The first voice came from a woman knowing by the tone and how soothing it sounded, so motherly. Thanks to her voice alone my anxiety died down to minimal levels but it didn't disappear completely when I heard more footsteps getting closer to my bed.

"I think so, he had been sleeping for hours now."

The second hold a lot of gentle and loving nature, but I still prefered the first person. AT first I had the thought that they were good people and some concerns dissolved but I still couldn't blindly trust that calming aura.

It wasn't logical.

I tried to call them but my mouth opened and nothing more, the second try I did noise but sounded more like a small whine; just a one letter word my voice managed to create.

"Quickly he must be worried already!"

In a way they were correct, I was getting worried but the motives were complete the opposite of what they believed my reasons to be. However all my thoughts died down when the first face appeared above my position, and a pair of black eyes stared right at mine accompanied with a warm smile.

I stared at back as my mouth had the shape of an 'o' for the surprise while my arms moved erratically, however she just giggled at my antics and leaned closer making me feel uncomfortable for the proximity. But I was able to see more of her, and I could say that she was pretty in her own right. A long brown hair held in a simple pony style, her face was delicate matching her small nose which was between the many freckles from both cheeks.

Then from behind a man came into scene hugging her waist as resting his chin on her right shoulder using that place to get a good look at me creating a more uncomfortable situation for me, and also causing me to fidget my body from how anxiety was returning to me. Yet again it was reduced when he gave the loving and caring smile accompanied with his very gentle eyes surprising me how it fitted on his square face along with his short hair.

They didn't have any intention to bring any harm, it relieved me but the look that both gave me made me wonder for a short while their reasons to doing so, a very short while since the connection of dots was almost instantly in my head.

That look in their eyes screamed parental love for their child and I was inside the body of a baby, fact even more reinforced for how bigger they looked to me from my perspective.

Those two were my family.

"How is our little Kichiro-chan doing?" The woman finally spoke in a motherly tone.

Instinctively the question word 'What?' left my lips, or at least in my mind it happened in that way since I couldn't speak at all. Is more they took my action as cute and giggled between themselves, feeling a bit indignant I closed my mouth and looked away.

"He has your eyes Kaori-chan." In an instant I looked at both of them with new found curiosity after learning that the woman's name was Kaori. With expectant eyes I looked at them man waiting for his name as well.

"And he has your face Daisuke-kun."

Their names were Kaori and Daisuke, my parents' names.

That little bit of information was good but at hearing how she called me, it simply didn't fit well for me. Besides that name wasn't my name because my name was...

…

…

…

 ** _SHIIIIIIIIIIIT!_**

* * *

 _Months later…._

The arrival and first impression of my new and unexpected life had been quite interesting and amusing, not to outright lose control and laugh. But it always brought a chuckle every time I recalled how my parents freaked out of my sudden panic attack and how I couldn't calm down, and probably I wouldn't have stopped if I had enough energy to pull it; that day I cried myself into exhaustion not the best of achievements and obviously not a feat to be proud of.

And to add more salt to the wound, my parents would definitely remember that day and retell the happenings if they haven't already done it. From my perspective that felt a very dickish move but in reversed roles it would be a common thing to do; after all parents love to have embarrassing memories and pictures of their kids, just for the sake of nostalgia and laughs.

But moving to another topic, I didn't do much than stare the ceiling and count sheeps. As a baby everything that I could do was completely limited, of course they brought me toys to play at the living room with them near watching me having fun, thought I couldn't really call it fun after all I couldn't really find it fun to move a block to another place or smash a toy on the floor as many times until my arm gets tired of the repetitive action.

That reminded me to explain the insides of my new house which wasn't that special, five rooms tops not including the bathrooms. Three bedrooms, one kitchen and a living room; place where I was currently in along with my parents, there were only two sofas but large ones enough to have a friendly reunion and discuss along with a cup of tea thanks to the small wooden tea table at the center. Something that I found amusing and at the same time silly, was to roll on the carpet, the material was ridiculously soft and I loved the ticklish feeling on my skin. Of course my parents didn't like it since I could get dirty or catch some illness, typical and expected reaction from worried parents.

I learned a lot from both of them, both in education and personalities.

Who could have guessed that the roles were reversed in my house?

My mother was the one responsible to bring the bread to the table, but after having me she was in maternal leave for a few months which finally ended and resumed her work. While my father stayed at home doing all chores, from cleaning to cooking; in my common sense I had expected him to complain to me how tedious was to clean the house and do all cooking as taking care of me in all sense but never once I heard a single complain from him.

It was heartwarming.

But returning to the first topic, I was utterly bored.

Even sleeping was difficult since I had slept a lot the past days not counting how much I had slept the first months after my awakening to my new life to a different world probably. The word 'probably' remained vigent since I things didn't look so out of place but a bit too traditional for my tastes but there was electricity if the light bulb and some traditional lamps were any sort of obvious indication and who could forget the famous electric outlets?

My parents went crazy the moment I got too close to one of them, since then they didn't let me out of sight when I was outside my crib.

And you know something funny from that?

Televisión didn't exist or maybe it existed but we didn't have one for some reason.

Most of the time boredom had been killing me, most of the time since when it was time to eat had been the most awkward experience in my short life. A baby and any other person wouldn't mind a baby eating directly from their mother but what they didn't know was that I was practically a young adult in everything but body.

That experience made me wonder since when sucking a breast was considered a sexual and pleasurable act for both parties. Trying to discern sexual thoughts from instinct to get feed was hard, the only thing I was grateful was that a baby didn't have anything fully developed and the puberty would hit much but much late, so hormones wouldn't work.

A great relief that no boners would ever raise from the grave until puberty descended.

In the meantime I had been on my second crib which was on the living room, I had two cribs one for sleeping which obviously was on my bedroom and the second one on the living room as mentioned as before so my father would occasionally check on me or spoil me.

"I'm home!" The unmistakable call from our number one lady, she always shouted her arrival with joy. But I was feeling a bit lazy at the moment and didn't bother much to look at her direction, it was a good thing that I was baby because they did almost everything for me.

And so my father grabbed me moments later to take me with her who was happily waiting for me at one of the couches with open arms as well the biggest smile ever, usually I wasn't able to get a good look at her appearance in the detailed and analytical way even counting the time I needed...to eat. But from my position I noticed her clothes, those weren't by any chance your typical working clothes, formal for office job or casual for other jobs, even more her current clothes looked somehow militaristic, it looked imposing; and with my gaze falling downwards I couldn't help but notice a quite interesting white mask on her belt.

For a moment I wondered what she truly did for a living, but I couldn't help to think that she was some sort of mercenary as bizarre as it sounded, a very farfetched possibility with very low odds of being real. But I knew that she was very well paid, after all maintaining a family just by herself and always having spares to bring me lots of toys between other things.

"My Kichiro-chan is so cute!"

With that announcement I was engulfed with kisses and moderate hugs.

I could never reject that because being spoiled felt great no matter how many times it repeated itself. A comparison is like being praised like the king of everything, it boosted my ego and perhaps a self developed narcissism.

Being in her arms I simply decided to let myself get lost watching the ceiling of our home, and hopefully drift into my afternoon nap since I knew that it was going to be a long talk between my parents, at first I was interested at hearing to gather as much information as possible but the always talked about not interesting things, like economy and what to buy. They probably talked the important things when I was asleep or on my crib so I didn't bother to stay awake as long as possible.

However the moment I was getting too comfortable I realized a very important thing, she was early than expected. I knew of that because the lunch wasn't ready and the table wasn't set yet.

In all those months she came early, but rarely she came late.

Normally I wouldn't mind something like that, after all coming home early from work was also a normal thing and quite liked too, both worker and family so I truly wouldn't complain at all. After all it would be more time to be treated as the best thing in the world.

But the same excitement died down when I looked up to mother's face and noticed how serious it was, surprising me how quickly it changed from cheery to dead serious. That kind of face always brought serious matters and perhaps bad news, both options weren't really that prefered.

I directed my look to my father and he as well adopted the same serious posture; meaning that they were going to have a serious conversation. Of course I remained as focused as possible because I could learn some important information.

So just like that she began with a typical speech of how much she loved and cared for our happiness, then drifted about her work and how dangerous was despite the war was over picking a lot more of interest in me. To put it frankly she wanted to quit for a more peaceful life and spend the rest of her days with us, very heartwarming.

But obviously money didn't grow out of the blue, and she began of what to do for a living. My father was very supportive of her decision however he couldn't shake of the worry about the future income of our family; despite the many options she had been presenting.

It seemed like her job really had a good paycheck, that couldn't be matched by any other job, it looked like she would need to work at many places to get the same income. But my father was against the idea, he just couldn't stand how his wife over exhausted herself everyday.

"Probably the Hokage could help me or at least give a suggestion."

I became intrigued at hearing that title because it sounded oddly familiar to me, something that I heard a rally but a really long time ago in my first childhood. But with blurry memories I could draw any conclusion, hopefully she would divulge more.

"Will he pass your retirement petition from ANBU?"

Another word that struck a nerve inside my head.

I didn't notice that I was internally making noises, which didn't go unnoticed by my mother and quickly took me away in direction towards my bedroom, I was complaining all the way long and as expected she had been soothing me with words and a lot of kisses hoping to calm me down but I didn't want to because of a mistake I lost an opportunity to learn.

Once in my room she gave me one last kiss and left me on my crib under my blankets; of course she didn't forget to give a harmless toy.

With her out the room I threw the toy angry at myself, but I didn't put much thought and calmed down. I wasn't completely clueless at least since I felt that I knew about what I heard but I simply couldn't place it together yet.

Unless I could learn how to speak I would remain ignorant of the world and I wasn't planning to wait that much, it would be inefficient if not outright boring. Somehow I felt like my room layout could help me to refresh my memory somehow, I didn't exactly knew how it could help me but I knew that somehow the dots would connect by themselves.

And I was an idiot to think that I could do it by myself.

I took me a few days to realize that and give up, accepting the cold true that first I would need to wait for my vocal chords to develop as well as some of my brain functions; it didn't make sense how I could still think so reasonably and complex despite my brain was just from a baby who had only been alive for a few months.

Nothing could be done except to stare at the ceiling or watch the paint dry, even my new toys didn't bring much amusement or any sort of fun to me anymore. And the puzzles were a joke.

But at least I was glad that they gave me a safe area to play instead of being confined in a crib, in those few days yet I couldn't find myself to attempt to do something considered productive, at first I tried to stand on my legs and find myself not developed to even attempt the action.

Though I also found myself very glad that my mother came and took me for a small walk around the house with me between both arms. However she talked to me and just me alone, how much she really wanted to watch me grow and become a great person. But then her tone became sadder about my future, how I would become a shinobi but she will be there supporting me until I graduate from the academy and go to my first mission as a genin.

However she was worried that I could die, making me wonder why a kid would die at such age?

Besides shinobi is to refer to the male ninjas, and me becoming one in the future?

Her words were strange at first but I was open to ideas and new information as always, she looked militaristic every time she left for work to ANBU group which served directly to the Hokage himself. And also genin was rank in terms of strength and skills.

They connected but just by themselves I was still unable to find the correct place to understand everything. I mean I could remember that ninjas existed in the samurai's era; they were the response to fight back the might of the samurais but that was all I knew about them.

Naruto.

Could I be correct?

* * *

I was correct.

Thanks to the conversation that my mother had with some of her friends I learned as much as I could and it truly shocked me to discover that I was in a world of fiction in theoretical speaking, and my brain felt engulfed with that knowledge resurfacing with memories from who knows how long.

So many things and so many possibilities available in such an open world. And it was even better to know that I wasn't far from the main timeline which most of critical points happened, making it better for me who already knew what was going to happen.

However the shock of the discovery made a fuss which resulted with me going to the doctor, and I hated being poked around as thoroughly examined. But that was nothing compared when I heard that I was ready for a vaccine.

I never cried so hard before, but I could swear that the doctor was taking pleasure from my agony and despair.

At home I put everything aside or just completely bury it and forget about it because there was a lot of thinking to be done about my future, my life and goals.

The confirmation of my whereabouts created a really big incognita on myself, what should I do?

Truly it bothered me, I remembered many things both good and bad that the world was going to experience first hand.

But something more imposing made itself present and obvious, what would benefit me more?

Which option would give me more benefits? After all my own life was first before others, my own happiness was what mattered first.

It sounded selfish but that was who I was after all.

But going back to my question, becoming the villain or the hero.

This was my own story after all.

Yet…

Any of those sides appealed me that much.

Something I learned was that Heroes weren't real, they only exist in the fiction, in the real world they are just idiots with delusional ideas with big mouth and silver tongue which convince others to follow their so called righteous and justice beliefs. And not only that, but they alway end up dead dragging along everybody who followed them, that was why we remembered in the stories because they died becoming martyrs.

People loved to glorify the idiocy, didn't they?

And who could forget the villain?

They fall, no matter what happens or how long they always fall. The so called heroes manage to bring them down and end their reign. Besides that side had many disadvantages than advantages, it was truly an action of the complete retarded to follow that path.

Normally the third option shouldn't exist, but we always create one anyways just to benefits us because we only think for ourselves and our own happiness.

I chose to spectate.

I will be there to witness everything develop thus becoming the best show ever the man had ever witness.

Of course I would put some conditions and restrictions in that statement later, everything needs a clear explanation after all.

That show would become my property because it would be written by me!

The performance will be planned by me.

Revised by me.

Edited by me.

Directed by me.

And then, profit.

Simple, if bad things needed to happen to make the show better then let it happen and if I events needed to be stopped then they should.

It wasn't my intention to sound arrogant but the moment I opened my eyes this world became mine.

I wanted to end at the top of the world

I **WILL** end at the top of the world.

But for the meantime I needed to grow and let my body naturally develop its bones and muscles so I could give my first step toward the top and one step closer to achieve my goals, dreams.

Later I would start the search for my tools which would help me to reshape the world to my liking.

Who said that a man can't change the world?


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto because Kishimoto does.

* * *

AN: I forgot to mention that this fic is inspired by 'A world full of monster' and 'KIll or be killed'. Give them a read they are pretty awesome and will not regret doing so.

* * *

 **Edit 19-01-17: Hahaha another one is down! Damm internet leaving me for so many days just because of a stupid rain so unfair. The next chap will be edited soon and probably after four months I will come back here and do some edits there and over there.**

* * *

Who could have expected that ninjutsu to be that deep, what I was trying to say was that my belief about ninjutsu or genjutsu were mostly about memorizing the name and the hand seals as well with the correct amount of chakra and a flashy jutsu could be spawned out of nowhere? However I was proved wrong the moment I got ahold of a jutsu scroll, every jutsu comes with a brief or long history; depending on their rank, explaining the reason why it was created and its purpose both in life and battlefield. Then every hand seal had a specific purpose for being and why in that specific order, before finishing the lecture right at the end the requirements were written, though that part wasn't really much helpful or informative, straight up telling genin reserves and regular chakra control was a little vague, to be honest.

And that detail needed to go to the list of less priority, but I memorized what I could for the future, besides every single scroll I got my hands on were practically harmless jutsus, like the kawarimi, Henge, the bunshin and finally the Shunshin.

But that raises the question of how I got my tiny hands in those scrolls, the answer was that my mother was working as a full-time instructor at the academy; mostly teaching the future ninjas how to perform the basic academy jutsus. And I was glad that she always had them at the tables most of the time rather than the shelves.

Another good thing about my family was about how they weren't that traditionalist like some of the Konoha clans, so I had a chair where to seat; the chair which I used to get access to said scrolls from the table where my mother spent her time working.

However, for a 3 years old snotty brat, I was doing a very good job so far; they didn't even suspect a thing.

Well, not everything was about learning jutsus or planning something, I had to enjoy life a little you know? Starting by going to the park along with my mother who just finished the shopping for the next week, if she was a civilian she would be overloaded with bags but she was a kunoichi and as such, she used sealing scrolls for all the shopping. Since the sun hadn't left there was some time which was used for me to enjoy out in the open with other kids of my age; of course I didn't know any of those brats and surprisingly I never once went to another baby house, probably because my family friends didn't have babies yet or they were old for me. Anyways that didn't stop me from trying to enjoy, though many times I was very close to snap and let my frustration get the best of me; kids around my age were stupid to even if it wasn't their fault for not having developed their intelligence yet I couldn't bring myself to care about that fact. Trying to make them understand with mere words was a waste of time, I thought for a long time about teaching them with my fists but my mother would deal with the consequences of my actions if I were to punch another kid. Even more, if said kid was part of a powerful clan, but I couldn't help but wonder about those other kids who were fighting; really fighting with punches and kicks. Sadly I couldn't watch much about them because my mother took me away from the scene because I was too young to learn anything violent yet, a very nice sentiment.

From there I was placed on a sandbox where I met another nameless girl who was making a pathetic excuse of a sand castle, I could be a jerk and destroy it but obviously, I wasn't a jerk or a bully whatever term fitted better in that sentence. Without much to do I simply played with sand creating mountains or throwing it around the box or just digging a hole with my bare hands; time passed just like and my mother was coming to pick me up which I was glad because accidentally some of the sand landed on her face resulting on the slow process of tearing up only to broke down to cries.

She grabbed my hand and helped me to get out of the box without noticing the little girl on the verge of crying.

"Come on Kichiro-chan, is time to go home." She said while wiping away all the remaining sand from my clothes.

Normally I could be an obedient kid and follow her but there were other games I wanted to do before leaving, except the sandbox since I didn't want to meet that girl's parents.

"But I wanna keep playing!" I childishly replied, while crossing both arms in refusal without forgetting to add the angry pout of a kid.

I expected her to frown a little and repeat the same again, not a sweet smile of her lips while leaning very close to my face.

And here I thought that would like this new toy." I wasn't very focused but from somewhere she pulled out a box of a toy, of course bribing wouldn't work against me but when I looked at the box it was one of those expensive toys which were boxed for preservation and probably was the new generation which no matter what age you were, you simply wanted to have that toy for your collection.

You monster! How dare you to manipulate my young mind with such materialistic thoughts?!

"Nononono!" All refusal left me in one go and I took haste to take the lead. "we can go home Kaa-chan." I shouted from the distance, I left her behind but not by much, enough distance between us where I could clearly see her giggling at my antics.

I noticed how the box was sealed inside of one of her scrolls while she walked up to me and offered her hand which I took without hesitation letting her guide me through the streets of Konoha.

It is nice, you know?

Those small moments of life when nothing about the future or past truly matter because the present is what you only care as you want it to never end. To think three years had already passed, is not possible to see my family as mere tools, always there for me giving me that unconditional love which is impossible to replicate. In the end, they grew in me in a different way, until I reached the age for me to become a shinobi I decided to simply enjoy life as much as I could. After all I got all that I could get, which was within my reach; for example, I had already unlocked my chakra, perhaps it was dangerous but with all the free time I had I couldn't just try besides she had already introduced me chakra to get familiarized with it.

For the moment my objective was to arrive home and enjoy what remained of light with them playing and eat something that wasn't some of those baby food which was horrible by the way. I was a little older for that but they insisted telling me over and over again that it was good for me because I would grow strong and healthy. Not a single attempt of persuasion worked against them, but at least there were times in which they were generous enough to give me some sweets which I loved so much so everything was all and good.

I had to stop right in front of my house and looked at the sky one more time, that clean and cloudy sky which soon would be filled with stars gave me a nice feeling one which I couldn't help but smile in response.

"Come inside Kichiro!" She called me from the door which was already open, where my father was also waiting for me.

He had his arm around her giving me the warmest of smiles.

They weren't my real parents but...

The only thing I could do was to keep enjoying the gift of life once again.

* * *

Why?

Just **_why_**?

I had been asking myself that one word question for a long time and still I couldn't find myself close to answer it; or better said I couldn't find myself to answer because I knew the answer and I didn't want to take responsibility, even if the situation couldn't have been helped I knew and by knowing I could have done anything but yet I didn't.

Because I was careless.

I, Kichiro Hasegawa became an orphan at the age of three.

The Bijuu of the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha last night under the Command of the masked man or better said, Obito Uchiha. It was a tragic day for Konoha, the village lost its beloved Yondaime as well as many shinobis and civilians but mostly from the civilian side.

Also, the day where my family died.

But at the end what could I have done?

I was a stupid midget who would become four years old in a few months. And I had been telling myself over and over again that there was nothing I could have done to avoid that particular event; even many others had been telling me the exact same thing however they didn't know I knew it would happen because I was too distracted to remember, that guilt was eating me alive. The pain didn't fade, always present and probably would last for weeks if not months, that unbearable pain right on the heart that makes you want to tear open your chest and rip out your heart hoping to remove that pain so it wouldn't torment you any more. But with my pathetic hands that was impossible, the only thing I did was to grab the fat off my chest and keep it there.

Every orphaned kid had been gathered in the park where the Anbu had been designating them and moving them into groups for a reason that I couldn't bring myself to care. Every single orphan had been desperately calling out for their parents with the never-ending hope that they would come for them but there was only one answer to that call.

Nobody came.

At least they were considerate to some degree, trying to comfort us to some extent but to be honest their attempt to comfort us didn't help at all to any of us. And I could tell their consideration of how they were handling us, especially me how they carried me to a different since I didn't answer to any of their calls. However couldn't tell their opinions about me, I wasn't openly crying like the rest but fresh tears drenched my face and didn't stop the flow; they probably assumed that I was in shock and I was but not to unhealthy extents and at the same time I was crying on the inside.

But I knew one thing in all that mess, I was going to be sent to the orphanage.

Normally kids were sent there temporarily until a relative or a designated guardian came to pick them up however in my situation I had nobody.

No guardians, aunts, godparents, cousins or grandparents; nothing at all.

I was utterly alone in a cruel and unforgiving world.

When I could form sentences I asked about the rest of my family and they answered me with sadness or bitterness, my father was from Kusagakure who fled to Konoha after losing all his family to the war, and my mother had the worst possible relationship with her family, for them she was good as dead.

The Shinobi world was a cruel place, one thing I learned about the orphanages was that they only existed to take care of the abandoned children from ninjas. A complete civilian kid was a rarity, from that point I wasn't surprised anymore at watching the number of scattered kids laying on the streets. Konoha could be a Major village but poverty would never be eradicated, besides as a Major village, they had the obligation to feed and educate their potential soldiers first.

And just like that, I had spent the following weeks sharing a full room with ten more kids, with the bright side being that each one had their own bed. However it wasn't the same, it wasn't comfortable or warm and every night nobody would be there to give you a goodnight kiss.

That abrupt change affected at every single one of us.

Every night I used to go to bed with a bright smile and an eager attitude to welcome the next day.

This time I wasn't excited to see the next day or any of the following days for that matter.

* * *

With weeks turned into months, my loneliness had been even more confirmed because nobody came for me. And the same could be said for my temporary roommates who at least stopped their incessant crying, any more of that and I would have given them a reason to cry to exhaustion.

Nothing worth to remember and nothing worth to actually care.

Most of that time which I could remember had been spent in watching the clouds move, besides it was practically the only thing I had been doing in those months. The shadow that the three near the orphanage gave was large enough for my little body and the beaches with leaves didn't obstruct my view, it was just perfect.

Funny thing was that I should be inside attending my lessons like the rests of the orphans but as stated many times before I simply couldn't care less.

My life my rules.

Besides, the caretakers didn't care as long as I behaved. She perfectly knew that I had been skipping all the lessons if her glare was any indication and let me add that she was a very harsh person, her punishment to misbehaving kids were from a slap to the wrist to complete isolation inside a dark room. So as long as we were good kids, she wouldn't care.

Good riddance, I was a good boy.

"I will not allow you to take those children."

My laziness had been replaced by the curiosity of the sudden loud voice, the tree wasn't that far from the building but for me to be able to hear it loud and clear it meant that the owner was very serious though didn't quite catch why she said that, perhaps an important event was developing under my nose and I needed to witness it.

"You have no say in the matter ANBU." Another voice made answered back with a very calm but cold demeanor making me stumble with my slow steps. "I had permission from the Hokage."

Once I manage to reach the corner I carefully leaned forward to catch the scene unfolding in front of me, I couldn't get an excellent view since I was only watching with my right ye but it was enough to get all the details. Right in front of the entrance was a woman with short brown hair who was part of the ANBU, it took one second to deduce that thanks to her attire and equipment she was wearing after all...she worked until her retirement for a more peaceful life. She was in a very firm position becoming an imaginary wall preventing access to the other person who was waiting for her to leave, but that man that man was the one was the owner of that oppressive aura and when my eyes laid upon him I almost made obvious my surprise and shock at realizing who was standing there, after all, who had half his body wrapped in... bandages?

Danzo Shimura, The darkness of the Shinobi was demanding entrance to my lack of surprise he wasn't alone, to his sides there were two operatives of his infamous Anbu, ROOT. There was only one thing that he would come, he was going to recruit the next generation of ROOT I could instantly understand why that woman was stopping him; perhaps she was protecting her friends' children.

"I **don't** care." A very harsh response came from her.

And just like that my jaw fell, giving a free pass to any fly passing by to enter inside. To hear such bold and defying response directed to such man, it truly said too many things of that woman; perhaps I found a lot of respect in her but maybe I was confusing idiocy with bravery.

"I will oversee this transgression if you step away and let me do my job ANBU." His stance didn't falter in the slightest, not even his drones, but the dead cold stare that he was giving send shivers down to my spine even if said stare wasn't directed at me. Then anxiety engulfed me for the Anbu operative, Danzo didn't have morals if my memory served me right and he could always kill her and walk away with his hands clean.

"Tori step away now." However the deathly tense environment was broken the moment a new Anbu operative landed next to her as he placed a hand on her shoulder, it was a gesture of true pity and understanding. It was clear that the newcomer understood her feelings but duty was first.

The newly introduced Tori at first remained static in her place only for a moment until she turned to face her companion, they might be wearing a mask but I knew that she was giving a pleading look behind her mask, begging for help.

"Please don't let him do this." Her broken tone was enough indication to confirm my suspicion of her current feelings, she was perfectly aware of how powerless she was but didn't want to accept it yet, many could have supported her but the interest of the village was first. If it wasn't like that then the orphanages would be filled with civilians kids and not only with potential shinobis.

"Hokage-sama has given his orders and we MUST obey them." After he spoke there was a long silence while the tension became thicker and thicker, I could even feel it. Then it was broken by a sudden cry of rage and despair, the perpetrator was no other but Tori. She hit the ground many times before running away.

Nobody does anything to stop her, all of us were just witness of her actions.

"I apologize from her behalf Danzo-sama." The Anbu quickly bowed in the utmost respects while the man in question looked totally unfazed. And his operatives were there like statues, practically dead to the world.

"This mishap had delayed me quite some time." And just like that, he went inside the building completely leaving my range of sight along with his drones, however, it wasn't the same for the remaining Anbu who was looking down with clenched fists. He was very angry but his mask kept it secret to others, then he left with a swirl of leaves.

But in my case, I didn't move from my spot.

I stood there peering from my corner because for some reason I felt safer there rather than my tree or any other place. Or maybe I was too scared to move, the fear to get caught by him and be put into his shinobi program.

Minutes later Danzo with his drones who were leading a small group of kids. I couldn't see their faces but from the sounds and their voices they looked a bit happier than before, they probably had hopes that they would be given a family or that he was adopting them that he would be their new family.

I only gave a dry chuckle in response.

Pity for them…

But in reality, I had not a single trace of pity for any of them, just because I couldn't care less for them. They had the bad luck to be chosen and they weren't me so why should I be concerned with the future of nameless kids who had no relevance at all?

If there was one thing I learned was that I was first before everybody.

It wasn't selfish, it was just like the world worked.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Kishimoto is the owner of Naruto, not me.**

* * *

 **AN: This is fun and very entertaining to write. I hope that you are liking thus far.**

* * *

 **21-01-17 Man, that was fast, wasn't it? Meh, not much to say but I added more words as well as more explanations.**

* * *

Years which had little worth to remember passed very fast, in that time I stopped being a midget and became a brat. Thanks to that growth I was given more freedom and access to some books that the orphanage had, however, those books were useless since they were only stupid fairy tales. I should have expected that from the beginning, an orphanage filled with brats why would ever need books about politics or history?

Either way, that didn't stop me from tampering with my chakra, I only did long meditation sessions when I was sure that nobody was around. Being self-taught wasn't exactly efficient but it was everything I had for the moment and had to accept it because I had one goal in mind and that was to be accepted into the ninja academy, the perfect place to gather as much information as possible without raising any suspicious behavior.

But there was a catch there, being accepted into academy wasn't by any means easy especially for clanless orphans like me, joining the shinobi program wasn't like the one believed to be. Perhaps some paperwork was needed but the most important factor to be accepted was to be worth, to show that you weren't going to be a deadweight or just an additional and unnecessary cost.

Chunins were the ones tasked to search for the potential ninjas, every year they came looking for possible students by testing all the kids who were five years or is actually very impressive the history of Kakashi, at this age he graduated only to for a year later become chunin while other were still in the basics of chakra molding.

To summarize everything I passed along with twelve other kids.

From there we were gathered at the entrance waiting for some kids to say their last farewells to their friends who were going to be left behind in that crappy place. It annoyed me how much they exaggerated their farewells or cried but what truly infuriated me was how they were making their very stupid promises, which involved coming back or getting stronger.

The naivety of kids truly was a thing.

Our new chunin instructor leads our group across the streets of Konoha while telling us about our new life and how it would be for us at the ninja academy but something that I recognized from him was the dull and cold tone, he sounded as if something died inside of him. The cause was perhaps he lost somebody special at that fateful night and we were a reminder of his pain.

After his explanation I looked at my surrounding as I walked with crossed arms, Konoha was reaching full recovery from the attack, buildings were almost finished if not already and the streets didn't look like experienced a large scale battle. Besides people were out in the open with their normal lives, like nothing happened.

Of course, a lot happened but they shared the same beliefs with me, we opted to bury our past and move on.

It took some time to reach our destinations since some kids got tired and wanted to rest, so, including those breaks, the time increased as well. But then we caught the sight of a gate with two guards on each side, they gave us access and the gates opened so we could see was was behind. The first thing that came to my mind was how big it looked but how monotonous and dull as well, we entered and waited in the middle of the compound for the next orders.

Moments later two chunin came and started to separate us into groups of three, the composition was expected girls to one side while the boys to the other leaving me with two boys. I analysed them and could pick up that they weren't that confident, is more they looked afraid showing their weakness, I felt like I could take advantage of them forcing them to do a few things for me but when I realized that they were just kids I entirely put a halt to those thoughts, I could be in a cruel world but that didn't mean that I would become a cruel person as well.

Each group was lead to their respective room, and when our turn finally arrived I rushed inside and claimed the bed that looked the best if they had something to complain then I could show them who was the one in charge.

Only when I claimed ownership on the bed I checked my new room, unlike the room from the orphanage the new one didn't look that big but the bed was enough compensation, many blankets, and two pillows. But then I noticed that we didn't have a bathroom inside before the chunin left I asked about the bathroom arrangement and he told me that is a public bathroom located near the gates.

I hated that but there was nothing I could do to change it unless portable bathrooms existed I would have to share it with other brats.

Without more complains I grabbed the second pillow and placed it on the first pillow giving me a better and improved pillow to lean and get comfortable. However my moment of small bliss didn't last when I felt the glare from my roommates reach me, they totally wanted my bed for themselves and probably would team up against me.

"Go ahead, try me" I hissed as I showed my fist, but they didn't move so as much as I hated to leave the confines of my bed I had to do it to teach those kids a lesson. The kid with black eyes was the first to meet the end of my fist and crumbled to the floor with ease, the second kid went to his aid but I didn't like that and sent a direct kick to his stomach.

Then I walked away in direction to my bed and went for a quick nap, or that was my intention because seconds later they started to sob, only to become full cries.

My days at the academy were going to be spent inside this compound, I should get accustomed to it.

"Today we will learn about the…"

It was instinctively from my young mind to drop my head on the desk, so the boring lectures about history could stop or at least pretend that I was hearing them; it was too boring.

I prefer to watch the flies fly around rather than pay attention to my teacher.

Normally my attitude about learning new thing was a very positive and eager, but as a youngster, I would get bored of hearing very detailed and long stories, to my perspective I felt like an old man was telling us about his life when he used to be a youngster. Besides I already learned all about history I could or what the academy library had at its disposal, of course not very detailed but a general idea.

And finally to explain my negative attitude was because it was one of the days when you woke up with the worst of moods, I wouldn't have gotten up from the bed if it wasn't from the chunin who literally kicked me out.

Another point I wanted to bring was how useless those lessons were for real life, the academy was supposed to teach us how to become killers or at least how to defend yourself from all the psychos out there, not give us the wrong idea that good grades in written exams could determine our skills as a ninja. Even if they were very strict in the practical training, and the training routines, I preferred if the time spent reading books could be used for more chakra training or improve your aim.

In the three years I spent learning, I could finally sympathize with the students who belong to the Nara clan. I wished that they could give me their secrets to fall asleep with so much ease so I wouldn't be in such agonizing boredom, the idea of messing around with my notebook was tempting but it was the only notebook and pencil I had; better said the only thing I was given. The government really minimized the costs directed to our development.

The only thing that could be considered as exciting were the spar sessions between students, my favorites matches were when an Uchiha or an Inuzuka or a Hyuga fought in the ring, the movements and style were unique serving different purposes in the battlefield. However every time it came to my turn to fight never once I was paired against any of them, it was usually another clanless kid either from civilian family or an orphan like me. I disliked that I couldn't test myself against the elite of the village but the instructors probably did it for even matches. But at least there were times I fought against members of the Akimichi and Yamanaka clan, and I lost to both clans most of the time.

The Yamanaka fought with such flexibility and dexterity that looked impossible to my books of logic and the Akimichi literally used their bodies as deadly weapons one hit and it was over, I still could remember the day when Akimichi boy hit me right on the head and I ended up waking up in the infirmary hours later with a killer headache.

Those might not be the most powerful as in open combat but they were also from the elite so it gave me a rough idea of how much I needed to learn to fight on equal terms.

But to train my body in the ninja arts couldn't be considered an easy feat, just to start running laps or a ridiculous amount of push-ups, they worked but not as effective as a real training programme which most of the time came from the training scroll which by the way cost money. Instructors could give you a few pointers and some routines but that was all they knew, and jounins didn't bother with academy students unless they were family or friends.

I wasn't surprised to understand that to become powerful you needed money, the thing I lacked. My pockets were empty and I didn't have a wallet to call my own, kinda depressing to especially my walks to return to the compound and watch all those food stands and no money to buy something from them.

The idea of stealing was very appealing, and I tried many times but they ended quite badly. Obviously not that bad with the consequences of me getting beat up but I always got caught in the middle of the act, since it was only an attempt I was given a harsh tongue lashing or a hard slap on my wrists. The worst outcome was one night when I tried to steal from a drunk guy completely passed out on a corner, it was supposed to be an easy prey but I was caught and not by civilians but by an ANBU. She gave me a long lecture about life and morals and that I shouldn't recur to the bad habits, that if I wanted some money I should get it with my own effort. Then she dragged me to the compound, however, there was a little detail that was nagging me in the back of my head, her mask was familiar but to the very day, I couldn't remember where I saw her before.

So I tried to a legal way to obtain money and it ended in a big failure. For starters, nobody wanted to hire nine years old brat, not even for stupid chores. I had more chances of success from stealing than finding a job, why you ask? To put it simply, for that existed the D-rank missions for fresh out genius, doing all kinds of chores for lazy civilians paying a standard price.

I stayed with pickpocketing at the end, someday I would learn how to properly steal without getting caught.

No money, I was poor as a homeless guy.

I even tried to appeal to the Hokage so I could assume control of the funds from my parent's bank accounts even if it was full control at least be able to retire some money. But he rejected my petition by saying that I could only assume control when I reach the age of maturity or becoming a ninja, in the meantime, it will be there untouched. Hiruzen might be a wise man who fought in two wars and came out to the top victorious, a man knew across the world as the Kami no Shinobi, two times elected as Hokage and a charismatic person who anybody would follow no matter what; but what he said truly brought me into a sour mood. If it weren't for the Anbu stationed there I would have told him his life out of spite.

Right, I forgot to mention another thing, though I forgot because it wasn't that important. I was assigned, new roommates. The old ones simply weren't fit to become a shinobi so they were removed from the shinobi program and thrown to the streets. You might think that it was harsh and maybe downright cruel but was the life of a Major Shinobi village, I didn't bother to get to know them and so again I showed their respective places but with the difference that they dared to fight back but I won in the end.

Remember about the little worth of the years? It also meant that there were some useful things, and one of them was the Hyuga affair. It was impossible to have not heard about it, it was a hot topic back in the day. There was nothing to avoid it, but in reality, there was no need for me to bother in getting involved.

The answer is simple, it never happened. Don't misunderstand me, the whole attempt happened but was not successful; better said it was a complete failure in every angle possible. From what I heard the kidnapper was immediately discovered by a patrol from the Branch Family, the Kumo ninja was sent without a second thought to the T&I department where they very well known and feared, for a goddam good reason, Ibiki Morino had his fun for the next two days. And when you ponder the situation with more insight than before you come to the realization that the whole kidnapping the heiress of a clan didn't make any sense.

After all, this IS the real world of Naruto.

So Hizashi was very well alive and healthy, and Neji wouldn't spew his bullshit about fate.

Though I could tell that some Branch Hyuga's looked annoyed to the very day about the affair, could it be that they would have hoped that Hinata was kidnapped?

"You have a recess of 15 minutes, then we will have a lecture about the Third shinobi war."

And a small cry of celebration was done by all the students, who dashed out of the room as if somebody died inside. If we weren't civilized perhaps we would have tried to jump off the window just to leave that damned place, and if it was closed then we could have just broke it with a shoe and jump anyways.

Usually, I spent the recess in the library reading all what I could in that short time but as said before, I already finished the entire academy library. It wasn't that surprising feat since the it wasn't that big unlike the public library and I couldn't enter without an adult or I was a ninja.

So these last weeks I spent the breaks in a calm loneliness under a tree.

The playground had nothing out of the ordinary, everybody was minding their own business or playing together, the Akimichi students were eating in the company of their friend which were without any surprise from the Yamanaka and Nara clans. However, every time I saw them eating I couldn't help but get irritated at the sight of their stuffed mouth, watching those endless barrels eating even if they weren't genuinely hungry made me feel very hungry as well. I might have the three meals a day, but that was all we had to eat, there wasn't snacks or small sweets, like they explained to us we only eat the essential nothing more nothing less.

Time ago I tried to become friends with one, and it was working quite well; they are very friendly and soft people but that was the reason why the Nara and Yamanaka were with them, they could easily detect those who wanted to take advantage of said kindness. I immediately retreated with an empty to avoid to get physical with them, they were disgusted of me for trying to take advantage of their friend.

From that experience, I stopped any attempt to befriend people with the sole purpose of getting something to extra to eat. That explained why I decided to spent my free time under the tree, focusing on the blue sky of above helped me to go to the nothingness and get lost so I could forget about the reality even for a moment, forgetting about it helped me to deal with the hunger after all.

But I couldn't relax by myself when I heard a group of kids whispering very loud between each other or yelling nonsenses.

Normally I didn't bother to check my surroundings when I was supposed to be relaxing, but the noise constantly there and so close was very hard to ignore all together and as much as I hated to admit, I was getting curious to see why the commotion.

But at the same time, I was feeling really lazy to stand up and walk over there so by turning my head was enough for me to satisfy my curiosity. I saw a group of kids around my age were gathered together forming a semicircle around something, the first thought that came to mind was that two kids were fighting over a stupid thing. But that idea was quickly discarded since any of them were cheering for an specific side and that any of our teachers had come to stop the supposed fight. So the other possibility that came to mind was that something really interesting was happening and I should go and check it out by myself, but I the spot where I was laying was so comfortable, if I was going to waste my time then I should go for the safest option and that was to relax under the tree.

Sadly our break ended just after my last decision.

I could hear some groans from the distance and some complains about going back to hear that boring teacher again but for my case, I remained on my place not moving at all. Unless you count a smirk as a movement.

I wasn't being lazy, I wanted to be efficient and spent my valuable time practicing more my chakra control. Besides I was pretty sure that teachers wouldn't mind my absence at all, I was a clanless orphan and they only cared for results.

Good riddance I was under a tree, it would give me enough enough materials to train my chakra control. Tree walking and balancing a leaf were good methods of training and cheapest if not free.

However before I could begin, some stretches needed to be done. It was warm up since I didn't want something wrong to happen in the middle of my training.

"Hey, why aren't you going back?" That question came from behind from a very young but not squeaky voice which made me stop, I felt like I had heard it before but I brushed that line of thought. I wanted to start my training as soon as possible, and for that, I needed to get rid of the little kid but without recurring to violence since it would lead me to trouble.

"I don't feel like doing some boring lectures." I didn't turn back and proceeded to gather some leaves which were scattered around near the roots of the tree, however, the leaves needed to be fresh and the ones and I only was able to find dry leaves.

"But Jiji says that skipping class is bad." My shoulders dropped as a sigh of pure annoyance left my lips, I could already tell what kind of kid that little guy was. But as I mentally promised, I would get rid of him as peaceful as possible with the limitation that I could use some harsh words and raise my voice a little.

"Look I do…"And words failed to come from my mouth the moment my eyes landed on the little guy, better said a boy with the unmatched spiky blonde hair accompanied with a pair of blue eyes and as the heery of the top, those unmistakable whisker marks on each cheek.

He was Naruto.

"Umm... student-san are you okay?" The now revealed Naruto asked for my well being, but honestly speaking how could I be okay?

Of course, I was but even more than that, I was overflowing with excitement because in front of me was Naruto Uzumaki the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko, the ninja who would change the world.

He was one of my objectives and I already had plans for him but at later date, but the opportunity itself just handed by itself in a silver plate. It was impossible for me to turn down that opportunity. But first I needed to calm him down and show him that nothing bad would happen, since I had my jaw hanging for a while and probably caused him some discomfort judging by his shy and distanced stance.

Quickly closing my mouth I scratched the back of my head embarrassed as flashing a welcoming smile.

"Oh sorry there, my name is Kichiro Hasegawa nice to meet ya!" Then without thinking it twice, I extended my hand to formally introduce myself to my future companion.

"Is okay, my name is Naruto Uzumaki." However he didn't grab my hand, instead, he just stared at it and then to meet with a confused expression on his face. His reaction got me a bit confused as well but I assumed that he didn't learn that particular gesture of greeting unless he was genuinely scared of my imposing figure; but after another look, he was just confused.

For a better approach, I kneeled on one of my right knee and using it to support to my arms and upper body. In that height, I was able to meet his same eyes level and gave him another of my genuine and innocent smiles.

"So tell me Naruto-san what brings you here?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Kishimoto is the owner of Naruto, not me, duh!**

* * *

 **Edt: I did a mistake when posting sorry for the inconvenience**

* * *

 **19/02/17: Senpai don't look at me so much, is embarrassing.**

* * *

A lot of things were different from what I could remember, and one of them was Naruto's status as a Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails. It wasn't by any means an S rank secret punished by death if revealed without authorization. The entire village was aware of his status both civilians and ninjas, however judging by human nature one should have expected from them to react badly, it was logical because that was how the human's mind worked against the unknown or fear.

I didn't want to sound as a bad person but I would have preferred that to be true, it would have made things far easier; introducing myself as his new friend who cared for the real him and not what was inside of him because they weren't by any means the same. Befriending a lonely kid wasn't that hard to accomplish since they would latch onto you in an instant.

But as implied before, that wasn't the case.

The population had been taught about Jinchuurikis and their responsibility in keeping the Bijuu in a tight leash. And it wasn't thanks to Hiruzen efforts in teaching the population, it came from Hashirama's time the education about Jinchuurikis. Probably he taught his people so his wife old live a normal life besides he could also realize that ignorance was the worst of enemies and keeping that as a secret was a terrible idea if not retarded.

Another thing I forgot to mention was that I was actually aware of that fact, but I forgot because I didn't care that much since I wasn't supposed to meet him so soon and I had other goals in mind, like obtaining a solid source of income and ways to avoid the hunger.

But even with the education didn't mean that it would make everything sunshine and rainbows, there was a flaw that couldn't have been avoided no matter what. Naruto was an outcast, perhaps they weren't throwing him insults or stones or had any intention of causing him physical harm but that didn't mean that they would prefer to ignore his existence as a whole. It was like the stray dogs, or insects, you usually ignored them and preferred if they weren't around.

And when I looked at him I noticed how much effect it had him, the fake and disgusting he gave me when he introduced himself was too forced. He never meant to smile in the first place and yet he did, his blue eyes held a lot of sadness and loneliness. If I was able to pick up those detail then Hiruzen might as well, and probably that was the reason he was enrolling him in the academy. After all, October 10 had passed so he was on age to join the Shinobi program.

I had to suppress my urges to force him to how his real feeling by hitting him, to force the tears out of him by hitting that fake smile, it was wrong to think how to harm others but it was different I wanted to do to help that person not because I genuinely wanted to cause him any permanent harm.

In the end, the only thing I did to him was to lead him to the nearest benches where we took a seat next to each other so we could properly talk about anything that came to mind.

"So today is your first day at the academy, isn't it?" I asked very curiously, he could be already be attending classes or he was there because somebody was doing all the necessary paperwork instead.

"Well not exactly, Hokage-jiji told me to wait for him while he does something inside." His answer made me mentally curse, I hoped that it was the former option and even more the Hiruzen was close by. It wasn't that I didn't want him to get close to the Hokage but he would come at any moment and take him away, either way, he was going to join so I needed to be patient and search for him in the recess we shared or when classes were over for the day.

However, I looked skeptical of him, just to keep appearances since the way he called the Hokage one of the strongest ninjas in the village was a bit disrespectful.

"Umm Naruto right?" I received a nod of confirmation. "Not to sound rude but you should show some respect to the Hokage." Yet I knew better, he was never going to take that piece of advice into consideration no matter how many times one was to repeat it over and over again.

He eyed me for a second before furiously shaking his head.

"He doesn't mind." Then he proceeded to show real happiness, talking about somebody who he genuinely cared brought him the warmth which he always sought; everything expressed with a genuine smile on his lips. "He says is funny."

He actually looked cute with that smile of his, so cute that I wanted to pat him on the head but I couldn't since he would totally freak out or just get highly uncomfortable with me thing I truly wanted to avoid at all cost, first impressions were very important particularly with Naruto since he wouldn't hold back his thoughts later.

"Can't argue with that" I tried to come up with another topic, but surprisingly I found it really hard to speak with him since I knew him while he didn't, how would you react if a complete stranger knew almost everything about you?

"So have you meet somebody?" I blurted out another question since I couldn't stay silent or he might leave.

But then I realized too late what I had just asked, it was the worst question I could have ever asked him, a lonely kid. The effect on him was instant, his gaze fell down to the ground as he put both hands together, it was a crestfallen position.

A piece of advice, avoid what I just did since that wasn't the correct way to make new friends, I should have thought better than speak but there was no point in crying over spilled milk.

"Not really, but it's okay because I meet you so that counts right?" He snapped out from his crestfallen look as he gave me another smile, but I instantly noticed the twitch on his lips telling that he was faking it. He was correct, we met and he was grateful for it but not enough to give me a genuine smile.

I hated to see him like this, brats like him should cry when they were sad and laugh when they were happy, not fake their true feelings, but no matter what I couldn't come out with another response since all those kids who showed without remorse their true feelings had somebody who offered a shoulder and a warm pair of arms to hold them.

"You are right." There were a lot of things that I wanted to say but I wasn't going to commit the same mistake twice so I swallowed them right away before they could leave my mouth. Even if the silence was getting long I took some time for my next line. "I guess you want to be a ninja right?"

He was a very young kid so asking the redundant question wouldn't make me look less intelligent, it was also good to give me more time for my next question or unless he decided to ask his own questions.

"Yes! I will become the most powerful ninja in the world, just wait and see dattebayo!" He literally jumped from his seat as he held his fist up toward the sky, however that mattered little to me since he just shouted the insufferable verbal tick, a unique trait of his.

I had my hopes too high, I honestly believe that his stupid language tick was only a comedy thing, but nothing could've been done so I came to the decision to tolerate it while working in erasing it from his vocabulary. And I couldn't forget his big stomach, there was no way I would witness him devour an entire bowl in mere seconds, it would be both surprising and disgusting.

But I was still on time, well that was what I was hoping.

Anyways after hearing his declaration, I couldn't help but smile. It was a warm smile, I heard many promises before especially from the kids back at the orphanage but those irritated me because they had not a single clue of what they were speaking just spilling nonsense.

"I am sure you will." And with those simple words, he looked at me with surprise if not shock, as I grew up a second head. "Is something wrong?" I didn't expect that my words of encouragement could have that much effect on him normally others were grateful and replied with their own 'thanks!' and be done. He truly was desperate for people' approval.

"No, nothing is wrong but thanks." His voice faltered for a moment as I had no idea what in the world he was currently thinking and I hoped that my words didn't have that much of an impact on him to point where he would break down and cry because it would give a very bad image if somebody where to find us like that. "Really, thank you."

He brought another problem to deal with care, putting me once again in a position where I needed to carefully pick my next words.

"No problem."

And I was thinking about giving an emotional speech about his dream and how awesome it would be so praised by the masses and to achieve that he needed to learn the way of the hard work.

He glanced at me only for a moment before looking anywhere but me, making me roll my eyes. Watching his attitude made me wonder how he turned to become the hyperactive and loudmouth knucklehead from the academy.

"How is the academy Kichiro-san?" He asked with a very curious tone and I was glad that he started to ask his own questions rather than wait for mine, it showed that I was going the right way and that later he would freely speak to me without any restraint. Though going back to his question, school, university or college wasn't fun at all.

"Is fun I guess, you learn to do cool stuff and they teach you cool things."

I wanted to slap myself for sounding so lame and vague with my answer, but the interest he took at hearing my reply brought confusion as well as mixed feelings. Perhaps that was how kids were supposed to talk, and only other kids could understand it very well.

"Cool."

If sweat dropping was a real thing it would have totally happened to me.

How stupidly hilarious.

"Can you show me?"

I blinked once as his blue eyes filled with curiosity stared at me waiting for something 'cool' to happen.

"Sure." I couldn't say no to a cute face after all.

However I needed to think what to show him since there were many things that required chakra but few were 'cool' for a kid standards, besides if I were to climb a tree without hands that would attract a lot of attention, I usually practiced when nobody was around and if there were people then I feigned to fail the exercise very bad and if it was a teacher then I would only receive a scolding for trying something dangerous without proper supervision.

But a good idea popped into my head when I noticed the tree wasn't that far from our position, yet my focus wasn't on the tree itself but on the leaves to be exact.

I took the lead and then motioned him to follow me so he wouldn't miss the action.

Once arriving at the tree I grabbed one of the many leaves that were scattered around it, of course checking that it was fresh because dried leaves were very fragile and light for the exercise to be effective.

Channeling chakra to the tip of my index finger I carefully placed the leaf on its tip, physically speaking for the leaf to remain in place was considered impossible but with my level of chakra control I could pull it off without any problems, the leaf remained as a statue on my finger.

"Go ahead try and blow it." If you want to show off then you should do it with style at least, so one could get better results and maybe collect something from the masses.

Naruto acknowledged my challenge and took a deep breath, just like a little kid taking a deep breath with his mouth and exaggerating the action by going back a little and blow with all the might that his young lungs could muster, it was funny to see his cheeks grow like a rodent mind you.

Something I couldn't deny was that it was kinda nice the small breeze on my hand which he created, a bit relaxing but at the moment I was proud of my ability when the leaf didn't move an inch.

After he had no more air he looked at the leaf with astonishment.

"That was awesome!" His praises made me feel great, it boosted my ego to reach even higher levels.

Sadly I knew the truth that there was always another person out there who could do the same thing but much better than you, and knowing where I was living, it couldn't be more correct.

"I know right?" A cocky remark yet an innocent one at the same time.

"Can you teach me?" His sudden question brought me a lot of ideas, a lot of opportunities were open thanks to my little trick. I was overjoyed to reach such extents with so little words and effort, yet it pained me the fact that I had to reject him since it wasn't time, at least not yet.

"As much as I want to help, I truly can't Naruto-san." My shoulders dropped and as well as my mood showing my sadness and disappointment in the matter, but since he was still a kid he couldn't read the movement and facial gestures very well unless they were too obvious.

"Awww why not?" His demeanor changed in infants and looked a bit frustrated for his request to be denied, yet that didn't stop him from trying another way to get what he wanted and it came in the infamous shape puppy eyes.

Monster! You are too young to start manipulation lessons!

No, wait…

He is in the correct age to start with his manipulations lessons.

Either way, I placed one hand on his hand and ruffled his hair breaking his stance and disabling his weaponized eyes in the process. Of course, he whined and quickly get away from my grasp and sending me an attempt of a hardened glare at me, again it was a cute action to witness.

"Naruto-san for that there are our teachers, they know more than us after all." I didn't believe very much in my words if I was involved since I was a very special case.

"I guess you're right." The disappointment that overcame him almost made me regret my decision, almost was the keyword. I might not be able to teach him anything but there were other things I could do with him which he would definitely love to do and cheer him up as well.

"Hey don't feel so down." My hand carefully rested on his shoulder action which obtained his full attention. "Tell me, can you use chakra?" I wasn't surprised when Naruto shook his head in response, he probably saw it as a limit but for me, it was an opportunity for improvement. "I can help you to get access to your chakras reserves then."

His reply came almost instantly in the form of a jump of joy.

"REALLY?!" His face especially his blue eyes were filled with joy and eagerness as well but in my case, I couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle at witnessing his sudden changes and antics, Naruto was a very emotional person.

I brought my thumb up with a toothy grin.

"For real." Then I searched for a spot where I could take a proper seat on the ground, it might take time and I wanted to be as comfortable as possible. "Follow my moves." Seconds later he was right beside me very focused on following my instructions, it was enough motivation for me to proceed.

"For starters, you need to do the Ram seal like this." Yet I wasn't doing the exercise it was a demonstration of how to do it, like a tutorial or lesson whatever you want to call it. The purpose was mostly to supervise Naruto and his progress, though I highly doubted that he could achieve some progress in less than an hour.

It wasn't by any means pessimism, just realism.

"Now try to feel your chakra." Perhaps I wasn't very clear but I also couldn't really explain it by myself, the chakra was a good kind of odd and it took me a lot of time to understand a little of it and how it moved inside me. It was expected his confusion to appear on his face, but then he proceeds nevertheless either he understood what I was trying to say or he trying his to do something related.

It was a funny sight if you ask me, it was like he was trying to push something out of the body.

Kids were kids after all.

"Is not working." His comment came seconds later causing me to roll my eyes.

Typical attitude and very expected from kids, after all, they only cared for instant results.

"Don't worry about it, just keep trying." However I couldn't get mad at him for just being a kid, actually, I could get mad since I lacked tolerance but I could make an exception just for him.

He noticed my warm smile and took my advice and kept trying, so he resumed and didn't stop with the unnecessary noises not like I was complaining.

"Didn't work." He had the guts to repeat the same thing after so little time, it made a small part of me spark in annoyance. But as I said that just for him I would be a tolerant person.

"Trust me, just give it time." However, I hide the small twitch that was occurring on the corner of my lips every now and then with my hand.

"Still Nothing." Literally, I had to grab my hand and prevent it from reaching its destination which was Naruto big and empty head, his impatience had proven to be very complicated to deal with or maybe a was very intolerant. I was glad that Naruto never noticed my intention in smacking him or all my progress would have been lost just by an impulsive and idiotic act.

"Naruto, this is something that might take weeks if not months." And just like that, his jaw fell to the ground while his eyes grew wide in shock, metaphorically speaking of course. "You must have a lot of patience, it took me around 3 months for example." And I was far younger than him but I couldn't tell him that little detail or it might be enough to break his motivation.

"No way! That's a lot of time!" for hearing the obvious, nothing happened fast or in an instant. Every little thing required time and patience was a necessary virtue for the shinobi world, a virtue I possess; patience and tolerance were two different things do not mistake.

"I.."

"He is right Naruto, you need to be patient." My words returned back to my mouth before they could leave leaving frozen in the spot where I took a seat, the newcomer had an awfully familiar tone which I didn't want around yet. Painfully slowly my I shifted my sight to the source and was greeted by the unique robes that a kage could only wear, in truth I didn't anticipate that Hiruzen could finish all the formal procedures so fast or we didn't notice how fast the time passed. With him, right beside us, I had no clue what to say next without sounding suspicious or sound like an idiot which could end in utter embarrassment for me.

But in Naruto's case, his appearance created another and complete opposite reaction.

"Hey, Jiji!" Naruto jumped and ran next to the Hokage where he started to act as the excited kid he was. "Kichiro has been teaching about chakra and showed me a very cool trick!" He was pulling his robe without a care as pointing me with his finger, it was a bit awkward so I just scratched the back of my head as giving my best of gratefuls smiles.

"Oh really? I'm glad." However I tried to analyze him and couldn't tell anything about his current face and position, it was a bit unnerving to be thrown into a situation which I was completely helpless; maybe an exaggeration of my part but I simply didn't know how to proceed.

But there were still other things to buy time for me to actually think for the next action.

"Is a pleasure to see you again Hokage-sama." I bowed in complete respect for the man in front of me, a thing I actually had for him. Don't get me wrong Hiruzen is a great man, you can always count on him to protect you from the enemy and help you when you are at a very low moment in your life. But also he is somebody who has fought in wars and lived to reach the third age and adding that he was still able to kick your ass to the next Sunday; in other words, do not mess with him.

"Ahh Kichiro-san, I didn't expect you to see you here." Was he been serious? If my memory served me well, I did all the academy paperwork in front of him and visited him to ask a couple of things which were clearly denied by him. "I thought that you were in classes."

….

….

….

Shit.

To be honest or not to be, that was the question.

The question that didn't exactly require much time to think about, I needed to get into his good side if I am going to see Naruto in the future and become his so needed friend.

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but I simply do not find any use to learning about history if I am to become a ninja." A very true fact, it might sound a bit wrong but I was learning to how to become a killer, not a scholar versed in history.

Hiruzen gave me a long look before his face changed slightly to amusement. "I understand your perspective, but not knowing your past history might result in committing the same mistakes from the past." Those wise words actually made me think for a while and ponder about my decisions, but it was only for a while.

"I understand Hokage-sama, I will not skip classes again." I wasn't somebody to lie very often but only when the situation required it, or maybe I simply do not know myself that well, either way, I clearly lied to Hiruzen about my promise.

"Very well. " He nodded in satisfaction and since there was no single change in his face I couldn't tell if he actually believed my promise yet that didn't matter to me, what drove my attention was that he kneeled next to Naruto and handed him a small loan of what I was able to see that it was money, a considerable amount of money. "Here Naruto go ahead and buy something of your liking while I stay here."

He grabbed it and looked at it for a brief moment and then shift his gaze to Hiruzen with eyes filled with joy and gratefulness.

"Thanks, Jiji!" And just like that, he made haste to the direction of the entrance leaving the two of us utterly alone.

So that's how rape scenes start….

 _ **SHIT!**_

But I wasn't a fool, carefully I started to make my own way out of the place hoping that he wouldn't notice; kinda impossible since he always had his eyes hard set on me and with a very powerful glare he set me in place.

"Now that we are alone let's speak about your intentions with Naruto." It was genuine worry and fear mixed together I felt when my eyes connected with his, he looked so powerful and imposing making feel less than an insect in front of him but I knew for a fact that his sudden change of attitude was for a real and understandable reason though I prefer if he could have used a different approach.

Not many are aware but Jinchurikis were and still are a big deal in many ways, even if it was most appreciated in the militaristic side. A Jinchuruki also had a considerable weight in the political aspect of each village, they might do not have political power but having them on a side greatly increased the faction power, since having a satisfied vessel in better than having an unhappy one who could revolt and destroy the balance. Becoming friends with the Jinchuuriki assured a person a few advantages later in the future, it was direct manipulation disguised as friendship and bonds. Such was the reason of why any village clan couldn't adopt Naruto or use their heirs to directly befriend the young Naruto, only he could approach them. Hiruzen cared a lot for the boy to allow others to take advantage of his innocence and kindness, with clan heirs his actions could be understandable but or me a clanless orphan felt a bit overkill since I was supposed to be a kid that had no real knowledge of how the world moved but et he was standing in front of me judging me and determine if I was worthy to befriend Naruto.

I couldn't hide my nerves, but how could I do it in the first place?

I was supposed to be a kid and a shinobi in training, I shouldn't have any emotional training so in a way, it was actually good to let my emotions to speak for themselves.

"I know you are aware of her status, am I right?"

Wait, what?

His sudden question made my blood run cold in my veins stopping my brain from working for a second, however, it should have been misunderstanding from my nervous state.

"So you must understand why I am doing this." He sounded a bit apologetic but even to hear that I couldn't see any change of his imposing posture directed at me, yet I couldn't care less about that because I wanted a clarification about what he just said before.

Unconsciously I was begging him to repeat what he said before, so the doubt could be erased from my mind.

"Answer me with honesty, why do you want to be **_her_** friend?"

WHAT?!

* * *

 **AN: AAAAAND CUT!**

 **HOLY **** NARUTO IS A GIRL?! *GASP!***

 **Hi there! Today is Sunday here so I had a lot of free time to write. Though honestly the reviews I just received were too much to ignore and filled me with so much joy and inspiration that I needed to finish this.**

 **Man, this over 200 view 7 favs and 15 follows is a good start. Let's see if we can increase those stats**

 **RATE AND REVIEW!**

 **JA NE!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto because Kishimoto does.**

* * *

 **AN: I THINK some of you don't like that Naruto is a girl…**

 **...**

 **…**

 **You damn sexists.**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **XD**

 **Nah just kidding there, I actually think that the reason is that you believe I did it for the sake of pairing. That is not the case, it was for the sake of drama! (Aka not the same)**

 **Besides I am a fan, there are pretty amazing stories with her out there which deserve more attention. Right now my OTP with her is FemNarutoxItachi. Then comes FemNarutoxShikamaru**

 **But obviously you can't please everybody, I am not one to judge if for a single thing you abandon the story. (Maybe I will)**

* * *

 **25/02/17: Hey, guys increase the MMR of this story by checking the fav &follow boxes.**

 **Also to support me because it references the story better on Fanfiction.**

 **LUL**

* * *

"Waitwaitwaitwait!" I am wrecking my head for explanations and not a single one could be found. "Are you implying that Naruto... is a girl?"

Even if he technically confirmed moments prior to my sudden outburst I asked the most important question, yet it was only met with the long and painful silence. A response that only increased my anxiety and the long stare between us didn't help it felt like we were in a glaring contest which he won. However rather than maintained the seriousness of the moment he simply broke it with a soft laugh which was clearly directed at my antics, making me blush a little.

"She is a girl full of surprises, isn't she?" He may have stopped with the judgmental stare but I knew that this was far from over and the moment he stepped closer I felt the necessity to step back but I couldn't act like that, weakness was not meant to be shown in front of superior foes.

"But it doesn't make any sense!" And I my words rang the true in my perception. "I mean the hair is too short!" I honestly wanted to slap myself for giving such pathetic argument to defend my point, but the shock of the whole situation was still within me. "And the clothes!" There was a name for what I was speaking, bullshit.

"Oh, that was an accident at the office with my grandson." The amusement was clear as the water. "We had to cut her hair but it will grow in due time, however, do not try to avoid the question."

His eyes that were filled with the joy of the memories became stern in an instant which made me go silent.

I accepted the possibility about divergences but to find one of such magnitude is still a little hard to accept.

"Sorry, is just that it really caught me off the guard, I mean...wow"

The Hokage only raised an eyebrow.

"But surprises aside, why I can't be her friend?"

Not the best of answers, especially for my situation, I am aware of that fact.

"I'm not saying that you can't be her friend Kichiro-san, I simply want to know why you want to befriend Naruto."

"Why not? I mean, she is nice and is fun to be around; even if I thought she was a he at first, it doesn't change things at all."

I might be showing a flashy and innocent smile but on the inside, I can assure that my heart was pounding my chest to the point that every beat hurts.

"I see."

I am being left without options, Hiruzen doesn't seem to show approval of me.

I must say something

Anything.

"After all everybody needs a friend."

I blurt out the answer without thinking it twice; perhaps it is the correct answer.

"I know the feeling of loneliness; because I'm an orphan Hokage-sama, to be perfectly aware that nobody is waiting for you, it hurts so much. That reality...it hurts so much." My words were sincere, why did they come up with such honesty? And the sting on my heart returned the same which attacked me that very day, the one which I wanted so bad to take away.

In true those words held the bottled up emotions, I did cry.

And there was one time when I wondered the impossible, what if?

"I don't want others to go through that reality, I want to help in any way possible and I swear I could see myself from the past the moment I saw her eyes. No matter what I will do anything in my power to show her happiness."

I properly stood up showing my chest in defiance.

Though I am scared.

Again silence remained between the two of us. Hiruzen's eyes showed understanding.

"Those are very wise words Kichiro-san." His hand gentle ruffled my hair. "I didn't expect that Naruto could find such a great person who can call a friend so soon."

I could describe my feelings as glad and sad.

It's clear to me that I am still feeling sad about what happened years ago.

"Take this, knowing her she will be at the dango stand." From his robes, a bill of 20 ryo came out which I received with surprise.

Hiruzen is known for his kindness to friends just as his brutality against his enemies, it is a really nice gesture from his part. Besides free money is free money, who I am to reject it?

Even if it is little money, to me I can say with pride that I am no longer broke, only poor; which are totally different terms.

"Thank you so much Hokage-sama!"

And with my gratitude said I took my leave so I could catch up with Naruto…who I had no idea where she currently is.

"Just go to the entrance and turn to the left!"

He is quick to deduce and solve a situation.

But those are thoughts for another time, I have my priorities.

Following his instructions, my eyes caught sight of the stand where I was surprised by the sight of Naruto who has 4 sticks of dango on one hand while she is happily eating two at the same time with the other, and the owner keeps preparing more which is quickly given to her.

Just how much money did the old man gave her?!

"Naruto?" Witnessing how she was practically devouring every stick in one single bite, it is actually a disturbing sight.

"Mmmph?!" Naruto looks like a hamster who is storing its food but with the difference that her entire face is covered with honey.

And…

Oh my god, she swallowed it.

She just swallowed it!

How is that even possible?!.

"Hey, Kichiro-san!"

She doesn't waste time and her hands are full of dango again, provided by the same guy.

"Wow Naruto, I must say that you have quite an appetite, but you should stop."

Naruto's reaction came immediately, it was too easy to read what she was thinking at the moment and what she would say next, 'are you out of your mind?' or something similar.

"Are you crazy?!"

She gulped another stick in a single move.

"This is great!"

For the moment I decided to back down in even if I didn't even try to convince her, my focus turned to the man who kept preparing another batch of dangos and by the looks, I could tell that it would go for a long time. "Dude, are you really going to keep selling her?"

"As long as she pays I'm willing to serve." And with that said he delivered the next batch which Naruto happily began to eat, what greedy bastard.

Weighing the options and the smell that was coming from the stand, only one option remained.

"You know what?" I presented the newly acquired bill to him "Give me two."

There was not much to talk while there was food at stake, but eating with company, even if we didn't actually exchange words, is far more enjoyable than eating alone in the public table at the compound. Besides Naruto was right, the dango is pretty good.

For a second between my bites, I wondered if it was her new addiction instead of ramen…

The idea alone almost made me choke.

Please no.

I could actually picture her in the future if she maintained such unhealthy diet, it would not be a pleasant sight to the eye to see. At least the Ramen have some nutrients but dango is practically sugar, it would not help her with her training as a ninja at all and what could be said of her figure?

A ball is on the making.

Thinking it better I have the perfect excuse to stop such madness from happening.

"Hey, Naruto." I took my time between bites unlike her who kept swallowing gulping down one by one. "Powerful ninjas don't eat that much."

Only after hearing my statement she actually stopped and stare at me with raised eyebrow expressing in confusion. "Powerful and badass ninjas have a balanced diet so they can become even more powerful and badass."

"Balanced diet?" It couldn't be helped, I am talking to a kid, but that wall is very easy to surpass.

"Well, it consists of meat, bread, cereals, fruits, and vegetables." I took another bite enjoying the sugar flavor, sweets are truly the best.

"Bleh, vegetables taste horrible like really but really bleh!" Like a typical kid, she flatly rejected the idea.

"Perhaps you might be right, but you want to be a powerful ninja, don't you?" I got a nod of confirmation. "So as a future ninja you must do some sacrifices."

She deflated like a balloon becoming a hurt puppy in a matter of seconds. "But you can always give yourself a treat once or twice a week."

Once again in a matter of seconds, she returned to her cheery and cute self.

"Come, Hokage-sama might be worried about you if you don't hurry." With my hand extended I waited little time before she happily accepted my invitation to return.

…

...

Oh god, she didn't clean herself.

Her hand felt so sticky and nasty. It is beyond my comfort zone to be in that position, and when I thought it couldn't get any worse, she started to play with it.

I couldn't just remove my hand and ruin her fun, that would be heartless.

With a lot of self-control.

"Please give us some napkins." I was practically begging to the vendor who was doing his best to hold back his laughter, I could tell that he didn't have to worry about money for a while if those happy and bursting pockets were any indications.

"Here boy." Unconsciously I snatched them from his hand and kneeled searching for a better position in front of Naruto so I could proceed to thoroughly clean her face.

"What are you doing?" She flinched the moment it touched her face as she adopted into a defensive stance.

"I'm trying to clean you up, hold still please."

Her stance softened as she closed her eyes, however even if she looked ready that detail didn't stop her from squirming around and making noises through the entire process of cleaning.

"And there!" I crumpled the napkin and grabbed another one from the pile. "Now give me your hands.

Naruto obeyed without objection.

Actually, she didn't complain that time instead she was giggling a lot, didn't know that her palms could be that sensitive.

Only after I cleaned every spot from her face and hands, I proceeded to clean my myself and remove that very uncomfortable feeling of my hand that sadly got stained, thankfully it didn't dry on my hand or I would have ended with a sticky hand until I found a bathroom and a soap.

Throwing everything into the conveniently placed trashcan beside the stand I stood up.

"Let's go." Without losing a single second she took ahold of my hand, and funnily enough, she actually took the lead; it looked that she was taking me somewhere rather than me taking her back.

The walk was silent at first but then it turned into a loud and playful one, Naruto was the one who broke the silence by poking my stomach many times which caused me to laugh but since I wasn't one to only receive I also reiterated with my own assault on her tummy but with double intensity than her; a beautiful moment of bonding. However Naruto didn't want to endure more of my ticklish torture and released my hand so she could make haste and get away from me but before running way she poked me on the same place, clearly provoking me to continue with my own attack. Since I had been provoked I was dead set on getting the last laugh.

Besides both of us ate lots of sugar, so we have the energy to spare.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Unless I buy Naruto franchise, Kishimoto is the owner of Naruto.**

* * *

 **AN: Mmmm….I wonder what's for dinner.**

 **Another chapter for you people, in probably 2 or three more to describe Kichiro and Naruto friendship and life together as student and mentor before moving to the most critical point of the story.**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

 **EDIT: 30/04/2017**

 **And that's why I think it's a,**

 **Good time,**

 **To learn some grammar,**

 **Now, did I stammer,**

 **Work on that grammar.**

* * *

"Are you sure that this is the only way?" Naruto just had to ask a question which I had to endure every time she started her meditation, and sadly that question only had one answer.

"Yes, so keep meditating." Of course I was annoyed to answer that particular question, it didn't only got boring but hearing it increased my frustration, explanation why I didn't like to deal with kids. Even if that was the commonly know childhood ignorance, one couldn't expect another kid to understand it; also how they could forget something that had been just answered straight to their faces?

"But I want to do something cool already." As a typical kid she ignored me while her arms in refusal looking angry and by angry I was speaking about the pouting face with a slight frown, it was cute but that didn't change anything.

Besides what he just said held some true in me, I also wanted to do some cool stuff but the world was very cruel and would never swing in a way favorable to us because that was the reality of life, we were the only ones who could pave our path.

It was clear that if we continued we would get nothing but waste time.

"Forget it we can try later." It was a bit of my frustration leaking out which I quickly identified and had the obligation to fix it as soon as possible. "It's time for lunch."

But first my clothes required a quick cleaning, I couldn't eat with dirt on my legs my food might get dirty after all.

"Great!" She quickly went to retrieve her backpack which was on a table near our position, unlike mine that I simply had it next to me. Well hers was better quality and new while mine was the opposite and the load was my notebook with the pencil.

Two regular size lunch boxes were pulled out, an orange one for Naruto while I received the green one. Even if I didn't removed the cover I could already smell the food giving me more desire to eat it right away.

After removing the cover the smell invaded my nostrils making me salivate a little, such meal could be said that it was real food, compared to food compound which remained with the shit taste. And the feeding system didn't change or made exceptions leaving me hungry until Naruto decided to bring one for me.

The first time I was confused because kids around that age weren't exactly fit to cook, they were clumsy for such task and had tendency to injure themselves in the process by accident, but my confusion was quickly resolved when she explained that it was arranged that every monday she would receive cooked meal worth for an entire week.

Seeing my dilemma she quickly talked with the Hokage and thankfully he gladly accepted, since then I didn't suffer from the annoying hunger anymore. Speaking of Hiruzen, he always accompanied Naruto to the academy and waited for her when her lessons were over; a very nice gesture from his part.

But in my eyes I couldn't just look things from the surface, it was necessary to remove all sentimental stuff from the picture and watch again only to realize that things weren't that pretty. Analysing with cold eyes and heart as well; the situation involving Naruto wasn't pretty at all.

Naruto was a jinchuuriki, and as one they must remain happy and satisfied so they could develop an emotional connection which would tie them to their village and fight for it to the last breath rather than leave it the first chance they get.

It was a possible situation.

But at the end Hiruzen wasn't doing it for the sake of keep his weapon at bay, I was sure that he was doing it because he loved her as his own granddaughter; besides she was daughter of Minato and Kushina. From what I could remember they were also close, so by taking good care of Naruto was his way to honour their name.

But enough of that, those thoughts were ruining the moment and I only cared for my lunch and enjoy each bite so I could forget the shitty taste from that morning breakfast.

"Itadakimasu!"

"So what do you have there Kichiro-san?" There was the phrase; curiosity killed the cat and to be honest sometimes one should not stick their noses where they do not belong.

But for that particular moment curiosity only caused a bit of irritation to me, but it was fine, she was my friend and as a good friend I had to tolerate her flaws and praise her talents or achievements and if the opportunity arose help her to overcome her problems.

"Is called chakra paper." In my hand was a the mentioned chakra paper, made from a special tree which was very sensitive to chakra, with the minimal amount of chakra and it would react accordingly to the elemental affinity, but if one were to channel too much; the paper would burn in an instant.

I always had been curious about my elemental affinity but as stated many times in the past, I lacked money to buy it until Hiruzen gave twenty ryo which turned ten after the dango episode with Naruto.

However I didn't use that money to buy the chakra paper, I just asked for a spare from the Hokage one day when he was waiting for Naruto at the entrance.

Days later he gave me the paper.

"And?" She innocently asked.

"And is used to see which elemental affinity I have."

"And?"

I had the feeling that she would start the typical chain of question from a curious kid.

"So I can orient my training around that."

"And?"

An outsider would be amused but the victim wouldn't.

"Naruto." I was not amused, not a little bit. " Stop, this need a lot of concentration." Then I turned to stare at the paper between my fingers.

I didn't take any attention of what she did next but I was for sure that she was going to leave me alone. A few deep breaths to calm myself were enough, only then I channeled just the minimal amount of chakra I could muster on the paper.

The paper immediately turned into dirt and crumbled away.

Meaning that I possessed earth affinity.

I wasn't disappointed per se, I was just…

There was no point in lying to myself, I was really disappointed.

"Wow, so what does that mean?" With the small test over I could finally pull my attention away from it and direct it to Naruto who was confused about the situation.

"Well it means that I have a strong earth affinity." I wasn't kidding about how disappointed I was about finding out about my earth affinity, the best and most powerful jutsus out there were from lighting and fire affinities. The few salvageable thing came from Onoki who could manipulate gravity thanks to his earth affinity; that alone couldn't outweigh all the disadvantages I just discovered besides it was impossible for me to get my hands on the jutsu.

And I couldn't forget that I lost the coolness factor.

What I was trying to say was that I would have looked very cool and badass if my affinities were fire or lightning, and being able to spit fire from my mouth or redirecting lighting with my fingers. However that letdown wasn't going to stop me, I could still train my lighting affinity even if it looked counterproductive, even if nobody would witness how badass I looked I could still feel cool and contemporary with myself. Besides I had the belief that training with the rival affinity I could greatly improve my chakra control and manipulation.

"Can I check my affinity?" Naruto's question was good but she forgot a tiny little detail right there.

"Sorry but you need to unlock your chakra first." My hand reached for her and shook her hair which was a bit larger than before, in a few weeks it should reach her shoulders if my calculations were correct unless she had another accident.

The disappointed vanished in an instant from her face to be replaced by giggles as she squirmed away from my sudden attack, negative emotions shouldn't affect her while I was there.

"Now go back to your meditation." Naruto quickly accepted my words and sat cross legged while forming the ram seal.

Looking at her I couldn't help but sigh in premature defeat, there wasn't much that I could do to help her unlocking her chakra faster, it was the only way I knew and comparing to my situation I only did meditation and a lot of perseverance because it was very easy to give up on the first month since there was no actual indication if one was doing some progress.

Recalling my early years, I knew that there was another factor which helped me to unlock my chakra. Even with my good memory I found difficult to remember what happened back then, after all I couldn't just remember every single day of my life, but at least I had a lead which happened when I was a baby.

So I tried again, I could remember with my mother who had me on her arms singing me a lullaby while her hand was on my chest, however I remember that it was weird when she placed her hand on my chest and had it there for a while…

RIGHT!

That was it, she had been helping me with familiarize with the chakra so I could get accustomed to the feeling, also it helped you to feel the flow of the chakra all across the body familiarizing with it and subconsciously understanding little of it.

"Naruto I will try something." She gave a quick nod in approval not daring to break concentration or spare any second, at least when she was determined to do something she truly showed it.

But going back with the matter at hand, I just couldn't place my hand on her chest or her stomach it would give the wrong message though we were just kids and we supposedly didn't had any knowledge about those things. However I prefered to play on the safe route for the meantime, walking next to her I placed my hand on her shoulder and took a few breaths before I started to channel my chakra to my hand so it could go through Naruto network, the reaction was pretty quick, she started to squirm a little on the spot but still remained in her meditation. Honestly I was expecting quick results from her but that was asking for too much and giving little in return, but at least there was one thing I was sure and that was that I helped her in unlocking her chakra faster.

However with all our attention diverted all on unlocking the chakra faster the flow of time passed unknow to us, unlike what Naruto was doing my task required a lot of concentration because any miscalculation with the amount of chakra that I was being channeled could backfire and hurt one if not both of us in the process.

Only when I felt like it was enough did I stop channeling chakra so I could take a look; such decision was the best since I was able to notice that the sun had set and not much was left before nightfall arrived. Such realization made my blood ran cold for a moment making me shiver in anxiety at our situation, because the streets of KOnoha weren't a very welcoming and friendly place to pass the night. It might not be much of a problem any shinobi because they could just jump around rooftops or use the shinsun to travel back to their homes; but the two of us were ninja in training giving us an status of civilians technically speaking, and as civilians we could only rely on our feet to move from one place to another. Of course I was ware that a local police force existed and the honor belonged to the famed Uchiha clan but they weren't always around in one place; they did patrol the areas but nothing more they weren't stationed. And I couldn't rely on the Anbu since they were mostly assigned to watch over the walls of the village, the Hokage mansion and certain individuals of interest.

In other words we had to leave at that exact moment, every second was valuable.

"Naruto grab your things we are leaving." Following my own advice I didn't waste a single second and wore my cheap backpack and went for hers.

Naruto noticed our predicament and received her backpack, from I could remember she never was outside her home that late specially without an adult, and as a kid she was nervous if not a bit scared of what could happen. If I was a kid I would also had been scared of being alone in the dark.

Together we stood on the entrance of the academy ready to step on the streets so we could make our way back to her home, to the safety.

"Don't leave my side no matter what." We both knew the route back but if we ever got separated then it would lead to a bad ending, mostly for her which I couldn't let happen no matter what.

Not a favorable situation, taking account of the remaining natural light left I simply couldn't let my guard down, there were many dangers lurking on every corner starting from stray dogs to the common thug who believes that can make easy money preying on the defenseless ones.

I kinda felt like an hypocrite person, I used to lurk around preying on the defenseless only to get a few coins, life could get interestingly ironic.

But the moment Naruto grabbed my hand with both of her hands so she could get closer was enough to tell me that it wasn't time for idle thoughts, I didn't expect that I would get an unofficial escort mission so soon and I wasn't even a ninja.

We kept walking at fast pace turning always going through the principal streets, not the narrow ones since they were way more dangerous than the open ones. Yet the that didn't stop the night from getting closer, fact that worried me more and more.

I gulped in hopes to swallow those worries away.

But the noise that came from ahead of us only made me more anxious than before.

I never thought I ccould hate so much something that was natural, but yet I truly hated it to be in that position and endure it. But I wasn't the type to patiently take everything without any complaints, I just needed a small break to clear my mind so I could process my thoughts better. My free hand quickly pulled out a kunai which I was able to snatch from the academy, it wasn't that sharp but its sharpness could still leave a wound on others, with a weapon at hand I felt more powerful and confident than before, I felt ready to face the world ahead of me. Even if the anxiety didn't died down completely then I was a little less scared than before and in my book that was a huge improvement.

With my weapon out and in front the suspicious sounds went silent for while.

I had the idea to get ahead just for a second to confirm that it was safe but I couldn't leave Naruto alone even for a second, leaving me with the option to remain there for a few more seconds before I gained the courage to keep going forward but with extreme care always watching my surroundings for anything that could be out of place.

And since anything was out of the ordinary I finally let out a sigh of relief.

"We are safe for now Naruto."

After my words she immediately hugged my waist, I was surprised at first but then calmed down and pulled her closer giving the necessary comfort that she was demanding at the moment.

"As long as I'm here I will protect you, that's a promise."

Her embrace tightened on me.. "Thank you." But her voice didn't hold any trace of worry or fear, it was more joy and relief.

"Let's go." And with renewed vigor we continued our way through the streets.

Despite I had my kunai at hand my anxiety raised again with every passing second, the only light we had were the lamppost which was a good thing but it didn't help with the creepy factor. I could only curse my luck, we weren't close to her apartment, the academy was pretty far from her home which was located in one of the richest part of the village, if we managed to reach there we would enter a one hundred percent safe zone because as any social pyramid the richer always had the best security, Anbu or Uchiha.

But until then we would need to keep walking through the streets of the mid-class zone, at least it was far better than the red light district or the slums; I call slums the poorest part of the village or the less civilized.

It was a very stressful journey, not healthy for the faint of heart.

* * *

I threw my backpack and didn't bother to check where it landed after I closed the door behind me.

"Jeez, next time we could set up an alarm or something similar to avoid this kind of thing because there is no way I will be repeating it any time soon." It was my way to help us in reduce the stress that had been building up in all the way over Naruto's apartment, a laugh could be of any help to us. Also I truly didn't want to walk across dark streets for a long period of time, reason why I needed to train even more.

"Perhaps, but Kichiro... why Jiji didn't come?" Naruto made me flinch with only words, very revealing words.

"Hokage-sama?" It came out involuntary like a reflex.

But in my mind I had been questioning exactly the same thing, Why Hiruzen didn't come to pick her? He had been always waiting for her at the entrance, and recalling the past days when we were too focused in training he always called for us. But today neither happened leaving me with the one word question why? I couldn't find a logical answer to give sense to the situation, clearly there was something amiss to complete the newly created puzzle.

"Did he forget about me?" But the moment I heard her voice breaking, the sound when one was reaching a breaking point, which I immediately recognized sounded, thinking about the answer was no longer my concern but to stop her suffering so her blue eyes could stop the flow of tears.

Not good, not good at all.

The best thing came to mind was to give her a hug.

"No, Hokage-sama would never forget about you don't even think about it." My words weren't authoritative, I was just telling her the truth and as well comforting her with my resolve.

"B-but he said that he will be always there." It wasn't working, but that didn't stop me from trying to give her the warmth she was so desperately seeking.

"The hokage is a man of honour who would rather die than break a promise." Loosening the embrace I placed her in front and started to wipe out all the tears that drenched her face, one that didn't deserve to be unhappy. "He must have a good reason for this."

He was the Hokage after all, he must had a damn good reason to have failed to the fragile jinchuuriki of Konoha, even if it was a small thing.

A failure was a failure, no excuses.

"He is right Naruto." The sudden newcomer made me turn my head looking for the owner wherever he was within my range, but that didn't stop me from holding Naruto in my arms I simply couldn't leave her in such state.

"The Hokage had a very important meeting with the representatives of Sunagakure, so he has assigned us to watch over both of you." The owner was an Anbu with a mask which had resemblance of a bear, so his codename was Kuma but that didn't' matter because after his explanation only more question were created.

"What do you mean us?" Naruto however remained on my chest using my shirt to dry her tears and clean her face, a stained shirt was the least of my concerns and if she wanted to use it as a rag then I would not complain.

"Neko and Inu had been watching over both of you since the academy." Kuma specification only infuriated me rather than calming me or putting my mind at ease. The reason was simple, they could have easily made themselves present to come and indirectly tell us that Hiruzen didn't forget about Naruto rather than watch us from afar and give Naruto the wrong idea of the whole situation.

"Then why didn't you come and pick us up?" I narrowed my eyes at him but that expressionless mask as his face was the perfect cover to hide any facial expression, it was trying to demand something to an inanimate object with feeling on the table.

"We were also sent to evaluate you, Kichiro." That only made me confused. "Hokage-sama wanted to know how would you react."

What was Hiruzen thinking?!

"If you excuse us we have a mission to report." And just like that he was gone in a blink of an eye leaving no trace that he was there to begin with, at least they could have showed some concern to us before leaving without a word.

But I could only sigh and swallow that.

Thinking back at Hiruzen, I should slap myself three times for totally forgetting an obvious fact, Hiruzen wouldn't ever think about forgetting about Naruto, of course he would send Anbu operatives or another person to do his job. Again, But why suddenly test me?

He could have done it any time and at any place but that one, he probably didn't realize that committed a grave mistake; and currently I had an almost heartbroken Naruto resting on my arms.

And Naruto showed how fragile she was, like a glass.

She had been bottling up her negative feelings for far too long to be actually healthy, she practically had everything that a kid would dream of except somebody precious, he had been doing the role at the best of his abilities but he had whole village to take care of and also his family which suffered losses since that night.

He was being overworked to exhaustion until this years.

Another sigh left me, I simply didn't have experience and what I doing were my belief and assumptions about the matter, comforting a kid was far more complicated than sweet words and a warm hug.

What was I getting into?

What should I do?

Honestly, I had no idea.

Perhaps I should confront her about that matter in a future date, or ask for professional help. But if I were to leave the situation to another party I would be left out and probably lose everything that I was trying to build.

And I didn't want that to happen, maybe I was trying to bite more what I could chew but that didn't matter at the moment.

"Come Naruto." With her between my arms I tried to get her attention a couple of times but she just remained there not moving at all, I was worried until I examined and noticed her calm face, but the calmness that one had when sleeping.

"She fell asleep." I was glad that she just fell asleep, it helped me alot and I could speak with her when she woke up and had a clear mind rather than the chaotic one, beside I couldn't blame her; she just went through quite an emotional episode.

Another fact which I was glad was in my own physical strength, if I didn't have enough strength in my arm I couldn't hope to carry her sleeping form to her room forcing to awake her which shouldn't happen in the first there was the option to bring blankets and the pillow.

Giving another look to my surroundings I just couldn't deny how nice was her home, making me feel a little envious. Always clean organized, expensive furnitures and other small decorations. The apartment was big enough to host a family, quite cruel for her to be alone in there, with her on my arms I went room to room looking if one of them was her room, it was quite difficult to open a door mind you.

On the fourth door, I finally found her room.

But my focus wasn't there, I only needed to drop her with care on the colorful bed.

All the blankets felt like silk and the pillow felt very comfortable on my hands making me wonder how i would feel if I slept on it, but Naruto was the one who would use them.

Once she was inside, she could have a good night of sleep but for me who just stood there, the only thing I could do was to scratch my head. Of course I could do any other thing but in facing my situation that action was what just occurred to me.

After all it was time to return to my compound.

My compound was close to the low class districts, giving first hand experience of how dangerous they could be especially at night. The only advantage from that place I could say was that it gave me many chances to steal and improve my stealing techniques, after all it was such a common occurrence that it didn't matter anymore. Being the hunter was great, when the hunter became the hunted the situation sucked, for a kid like me the dangers lurking in the darkness. I could say that it was going to be one hell of a trip.

It was for the better to leave my backpack with Naruto, she would definitely bring it the next day and also I wouldn't have a weigh slowing me down before I reached my compound.

However before I could start with my journey I needed to give deep breaths to muster some confidence, and also a silent prayer to do not encounter any idiot or danger.

But before I could give my first step a something took ahold of my shirt and was preventing me to continue with my trip back.

"Please don't leave me."

It was Naruto, but it was too coincidental that she suddenly woke up just to plead me. Yet it didn't matter if she had just pretended to be asleep, her plea was genuine and she truly needed somebody to keep her company for the rest of night so the loneliness wouldn't reach her heart.

I grabbed her hand and kneeled in front of her, staring directly at her blue eyes which still held fear and sadness.

"I will not go anywhere that's a promise." My unbreakable promise was accompanied with a warm smile, I would do my best to take care of her.

Tears began to fall but those weren't from sadness or grief, those were of joy. It was beautiful to watch her genuine smile.

"Thanks Onii-chan."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **AN: And dinner was pizza! :D**

 **I love the genre of SI/OC but I found a lot of things for one is that the OC most of the time is a girl, I have nothing against it but it was very hard to find stories with a good male OC or decent one and that is not explicit YAOI or OP with harem, wonder why. Also that they always have the cool things like fire or lighting affinities, though I can't blame it since those two are cool. And that they always have a bloodline.**

 **So that's why I decided beforehand that Kichiro is going to be normal, as much normal that one ninja can be in that world or he allows himself to be.**

* * *

 **EDIT 14/05/17**

 **Kenshiro had come and told me to edit this chapter ASAP or he would go all ATATATATTTA on me.**

* * *

"I did it onii-chan!" A blonde little girl came running towards me while showing off a Math exam with the perfect score.

"Let me see." Since I am really good at the subject I had been a habit for me to teach her and give a few pointers; I quickly scanned the contents searching for the crosses but every single quest came out unscathed. "Okay, I guess this deserves a reward."

"YES!" Her joy of achievement had been expressed in a very active manner and I let her do as she pleased for a little while, it was the system I imposed on her to motivate her to achieve higher than before to push her limits and to become better. But there was no way I could deny that it was frustrating to see her jump around so much, for a kid was a common action but Naruto was a girl with long hair and as the good gentlemen I was, every morning I took my time to take care of her hair and have it straight as silk or what my eyes could compare to it. So with every jump, my work was ruined little by little until it was only a messy hair badly combed, witnessing the event so many times made me realize that it was better to choose a different hairstyle that could endure the life of an eccentric girl.

But even if I felt a bit frustrated the warm feeling completely overwhelmed the frustration, thinking back in time it had been already a year since that day, the day when Naruto started to call me onii-chan. It was surprising at first but when I searched for a logical answer there was a good one, after being there for her in a very fragile moment of her life she completely latched to me and I warmly welcomed her between my arms. Besides, I didn't mind to be called onii-chan; it was quite refreshing to hear it every time for almost everything; it was a new title which you could always take pride. However if one were to take a closer look I actually acted like one, our routine was always be the one to lead her in many things like waking her up or helping her to deal with the morning laziness sometimes in a gentle way and other times in the cruel way which involved a cup of cold water; though she always got me back with something equally worse, I deserved that. And finally, I always helped her with the best of my abilities at anything that she asked me, for example, her homework or getting something that is too far from her reach or simply moving stuff for her.

But the thing that she loved the most was my bed stories before she went to sleep so it could be a happy dream, and her age didn't truly matter to me, as long as she asked I was willing to comply without fault.

But putting those matters aside I didn't remain completely idle and thinking only for the present. I had also been thinking of a way to deal with my financial situation in the long term since it didn't improve very much even after I had moved in with Naruto. Moving in with her wasn't my doing at all but I couldn't lie that I didn't dislike the outcome; however regarding how I ended up living with her was that Naruto went to Hiruzen office and kneeled down begging for me to stay by her side.

At first, Hiruzen was very skeptical about the idea since I was a new person who she only met for a brief time, after all, anybody would feel the same when facing the same situation but he after talking with me for a long time he approved it; he truly cared for her little blonde happiness.

Moving on, about my solution.

In contrast, it was quite a simple solution, I could rewrite all the famous stories and sell them as my own literate work and profit from them, perhaps it was shameless plagiarism but at the same time it wasn't, why? Because any of those stories; not even similar stories existed, giving me a blank sheet to start my work, besides I had been doing a bit of research in local libraries and bookstores and one could only find books about ninja art and or the entertainment genre was minimal. However what always stood out in every single bookstore was the infamous Icha Icha series written by Jiraiya of the Sannin.

Sadly my solution also came with its own set of problems, I couldn't afford ink and paper in large amounts, though I was tempted to ask help from Naruto so Hiruzen could give me the necessary materials that might mark me as a freeloader who was taking advantage of their kindness.

I didn't want to stain my reputation.

Good grief that I didn't have to worry about food anymore, I could finally satisfy my hunger every time I wanted thanks to the full refrigerator that Naruto requested.

Since I didn't want to feel like a freeloader I immediately became her cook and with the new self-given title I introduced to her to all the exquisite dishes which I could remember such as tacos, pizza, hamburger, french fries and more. However, only for special occasions since it was junk food and might interfere with her ninja career, in the long run, no matter how much she asked me for seconds I wasn't going to budge even a little. For her luck, I also knew how to cook other dishes which were healthier consistent, I gladly served her seconds.

"However I need time, do your next subject in the meantime." I left for the kitchen but before I could start with my cooking I had the obligation to grab and put on my apron with the big words _'Kiss the cook'_.

Honestly speaking, Hiruzen gifted me the apron as a harmless joke when he discovered my affinity to cooking; but what did surprise was that Naruto took it to the literal level, she always kissed me on the cheek after every meal made by me.

Those little pleasures of life are worth for an eternity tho.

"Aww but onii-chan!" She dropped to the ground flailing her limbs. "History is so boring!"

I couldn't agree more with her but as an aspirant for the title of Top Kunoichi, she couldn't lower her scores of any subject.

The advantage of time could be I expressed in many forms and my favorite one was the wisdom that one possessed according to their age. Well, I wasn't a sage or anything of the sort but to practically have been living to live's gave me plenty of real-life experience.

"Oh well, I guess you don't want pizza then." First I slowly took off my apron to emphasize my intentions and with very intentional slow steps I walked I made my way out of the kitchen.

"History is the best subject ever!" And she was off in a flashback to the table.

It was so easy to manipulate a kid to make them do their chores, it was funny and nostalgic to remember those times especially when I was a little kid myself…my Kaa-san also did that to me back then.

Ah, the nostalgia.

The refrigerator full as always and easily obtained all the ingredients for a family size pizza, perhaps it might be a little too much for two kids but there is always tomorrow's breakfast, from personal experience pizza for breakfast is absolutely the best.

But one should never underestimate a kid's stomach, those can become infinite barrels if their favorite food is involved. And Naruto showed me the truth behind my words since I had to stop her from devouring the rest of the familiar-size homemade pizza if she ate the whole thing it was possible to get stomachache the next day, besides allowing such to happen under my care would totally tarnish my image of a good Onii-chan.

So after a lot of disapproval from her part and bickering, we found ourselves in the bathroom in front of the mirror staring at our reflections as we brushed our teeth.

After spitting I took Naruto to her room.

"Onii-chan?" She was already behind the warm covers of her bed, those by mere look could be said the quality of the blankets and by touching how soft they were could only strengthen the fact.

"Yes, my cute imouto-chan?" I softly replied.

"Can you tell me a story?" She asked like always.

I smiled. "You know the answer."

"Thanks."

I sat on the edge and cleared my throat a few times.

"Once upon a time there was a lovely princess, but had an enhancement upon her of a fearful sort which could only be broken by Love's first kiss. She was locked away in a castle guarded by a terrible fire-breathing dragon. Many knights had attempted to free her from this dreadful prison, but none prevailed. She waited in the dragon's keep in the highest room of the tallest tower; for her true love and true love's first kiss…."

And so on the story continued.

If you hadn't figured out which story I had narrated, shame on you.

* * *

Naruto fell asleep in the middle of my story as expected.

I left her side and carefully tiptoed my way out of her room, while it was a bit early for her to be asleep I had my very own reasons, I didn't want her to eavesdrop.

The living room required some cleaning thanks to our little episode, but we could do it the next day or we could be shameless and request a cleaner for the task. But before I took a comfortable seat there I grabbed a book from the small shelve, reading was the perfect activity to pass the time efficiently. The book's name was the 'Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi', I had to admit that despite the concept of the story which was kinda lame; in my opinion, since I didn't exactly believe in heroes, it was very well written and captivating to keep reading for the next chapter.

More time passed but with a cup of tea and a book, time didn't seem to trouble me. Occasionally sipping my beverage as my eyes hungrily read the history, they were practically watching a movie, in a way. The Fighting scenes, the dialogues, the characterizations, it is a good book but when I heard a couple of knocks I had to put down my tea along with the book.

Undoubtedly, it is time for the rest of my allowance to disappear and become penniless once again.

At least for a couple of days.

But my money wasn't wasted but instead properly invested.

For example, the book that I had been reading had been bought with that money, at a very cheap price if I might add, a good part of the money was spent on ninja equipment or food rich in nutrients and a portion was spent on a new set of clothes that matched my tastes. But the most important and largest investment was to hire a Hyuuga genin, the unmatched byakugan could do a very important mission for me and it was the only dojutsu which could complete the task without getting caught that easily.

It doesn't matter if you are a beggar or belong to the upper class, all of us possess greed. So it was quite simple to convince a genin to do an errand for me.

My sudden interest had a very logical reason.

The Uchiha Massacre had happened not long ago..

It was a very hot topic for the past days, how Itachi went mental and killed the entire Uchiha clan except for his foolish little brother who went through a powerful genjutsu which completely mind raped him, from what I heard his convulsions hadn't lessened and the doctors weren't sure when they will stop or wake up for the matter.

Naruto didn't get involved at all but since it was a hot topic of conversation I summarized the whole affair for her, and the only response she gave me was; _'Oh, that's sad'_.

A response not befitting for somebody like her who had been learning about high morals and ethics yet I can't deny that it is because of my influence that her view on the Uchiha was bad or show any kind of concern for Sasuke.

Honestly, I can't bring myself to give damn about Sasuke.

But that was a contradiction since I did care to some degree about him because it was the crucial moment when he became a flight risk, he could become one of the most powerful assets but at the same time one of the most dangerous threats. I had been weighing my options between killing him at the first opportunity or selling him to Kumo since they desired bloodlines or any other village for the best bid, actually forget that last option that would be more like a favor to him, having sex as much as possible without protection was every man's dream.

Either way, I created the third option, do nothing at the moment.

Knowing his character, he could be easily manipulated with the right words, words I perfectly knew.

In the worst case of scenarios, I could easily kill him before his defection and harvest those eyes for myself.

Again, how was a Hyuuga involved in all of that?

The answer was going to remain a mystery in the meantime, I was not ready to tell yet.

Leaving everything behind I greeted my expected guest at the door, after all, there was no time or necessity to let white eyed genin go inside."So what did you find?"

"Nothing." Replied the branch member.

I frowned because that 'nothing' could mean a lot of things and I didn't like the possibility to find unwanted surprises. "And that nothing of really nothing or nothing more like a void that prevents your byakugan to see further?"

To doubt about the power of the byakugan was a strong offense towards the Hyuuga clan but since we were kids it could slide.

"Nothing, there was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary unless you count transplants from vegetative nature." With the same stoic face he assured his answer, even his voice was stoic.

Very professional attitude if you ask me.

"How can I believe that you completed your mission?" I knew that my question was unnecessary but one couldn't be all that confident in the ninja world where the best weapon was deceit.

"We Hyuugas honor our word to the very end, it would only bring shame if not." If he doesn't feel offended by my question then he hides it very well, they are very prideful people and what I just said was an open insult to the whole clan.

"Very well." From one of my pockets, I retrieved the rest of the payment.

The branch member took his time to count the money and check for any possible issue before bowing.

"If you excuse me I will take my leave."

With nothing left to do there, I locked the door.

I returned to the couch with a head filled with questions; perhaps it hadn't happened yet or it will never happen. After all, it did possess a very high risk with so many sensors around and byakugan eyes which claimed to see everything. However I cannot take the jump yet, I must wait a little more and send another Hyuuga to confirm my suspicions.

* * *

 **AN: Shame on those who can recognize the beginning of Shrek. Oh and I don't take credit for that part.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **AN: Yay over 1000 hits 22 favs, 36 follows and OMG a community, (I'm so proud) but that number must increase so I get more power to bring another chapter forward!**

 **I think this will be the last chapter for fluff and shenanigans before entering the critical part.**

 **Bon appetit.**

* * *

 **Edit 4/07/17**

 **One thing there and then another over there and more over there. You know how things are.**

* * *

"Onii-chan, what is this again?" It was a shame that forks didn't exist, instead, there were the chopsticks but those weren't the same; especially for the Spaghetti, it was a tragic loss because forks were better suited for the task and to play with the noodles.

Besides the chopsticks required a degree of skill and practice to tangle the noodles and then eat them, very difficult task since they usually slipped away; I was glad that Naruto had already learned to use the chopsticks very well; it would have been a little annoying to teach her how to use them properly if that wasn't the case.

"Is called Spaghetti, Naruto." As a gentleman, one must serve the woman first only then I could place my own dish on the table so I could also enjoy my cooking I couldn't lie that I wasn't hungry. But again I couldn't seat with my apron not as she would mind but I would, after all, it wearing an apron while eating wasn't really comfortable in my personal opinion.

"Spaghetti looks funny." She said while poking the noodles with the chopsticks, but her statement made me wonder for a moment how could she judge the spaghetti since it was practically ramen, though thinking it better those two had their respective difference but still. Perhaps it was odd because noodles were usually served in soups?

Oh right, she had already ate ramen and didn't become a complete addict to it thankfully, so I was finally free of worries of the apartment becoming a mess with the amounts of discarded recipients of instant ramen; I had a theory about her attitude toward that particular food which was that she had tasted a vast variety of dishes so her range of taste increased causing her to learn to appreciate the variety of cooking a lot more, it filled me with pride and more motivation to keep cooking for here even better food.

"Maaaybe." Since I was sitting next to her it was quite easy to ruffle her blonde hair. "But it will be an explosion in your mouth, that I promise you."

She eagerly nodded before both of us could clap our hands signaling our manners before eating.

"Itadakimasu!"

After a few minutes, a cleaning and a kiss later our lunchtime came to an end.

It was a day off for the academy reasons were totally unknown to us but as expected everybody celebrated to don't assist to the torture sessions with the facade of lectures. The funny thing about those classes is that I always skipped them despite what Hiruzen told me, and what surprised the teachers and probably pissed them was that I always passed their exams with decent grades.

But in Naruto's case she did receive a scolding session when I discovered that she had skipped a class, though she did point out a good argument in her favor which was that I did the same thing; but since I was the older I could exploit a few advantages however with justice and fairness on her side she began a brief discussion which I won if I might add. After all if her grades dropped even a bit she risked to lose her title as the top kunoichi, a very important title for her ninja career while I wasn't really interested in obtaining a propaganda title and also it was already too late to actually fight for it; and the last point which was actually sad that I didn't have the qualifications in the practical side to become the rookie of the year.

"Can we go outside Onii-chan?" Her sudden question caught me by surprise, enough surprise to get me up from the large sofa which was enough to lay down and use it as an improvised bed.

"Why?"

She shyly twiddled both index fingers as if she was caught doing something wrong, cute attitude. "Well, I just wanted to play more with you.."

Her answer only brought me a soft smile.

"Don't worry just grab your sweater; we don't want you to get a cold, do we?" There was nothing left to do and honestly, I was getting a bit bored inside of our apartment, perhaps we could be training but a single day off never hurt anybody.

"I can't get sick." Her cute face was quickly gone by a frowning one and her shy posture as well. In front was a standing a confident blonde girl who looked that wasn't going to back down from her position.

"Who knows, maybe those are only assumptions." However her sudden change of attitude wasn't going to change my opinion on the matter, as a kid, she must always wear a sweater when going outside.

"Hokage-Jiji told me."

"Mmmmmm…." I placed a finger on my chin and hummed for a while pretending to be deep in thought. "Still wear the sweater."

"No." She crossed her arms and glared at me with all the intentions to challenge the authority, who currently was me.

"Naru-chan, can you bring your sweater please?" Of course, as the good onii-chan I was I decided to go with the peaceful way, just with words to convince her to hear my demands.

"No." She reaffirmed.

"Please imouto-chan?" I was still convinced that with mere sweet words she would see the reason for my claim, or I would be obligated to do my duty as the older and responsible family member.

"No." I didn't know that it was possible to be pouting and be partially angry at the same time, actually, it was possible but not a common sight to behold.

"Naruto don't force me."

"Try me."

You cheeky brat, such insolence!

"Okay, okay" I held my hands up sarcastically accepting her position at the matter.

Only to do the ram hand seal and shunshin to the sweater, I didn't think to give her any room to breathe. "COME BACK HERE!"

Sadly Naruto was quick to react and used her chakra as well to speed up her body to get away from my reach. "I WILL NOT WEAR THAT!"

However, I wasn't one to give up that easily. "IS NECESSARY FOR YOUR HEALTH."

With the sweater at hand, tackling was a good option but she instantly ducked using her height as an advantage to dodge completely, and she was ready to keep running while I crashed on something that I didn't put any attention while landing. j

The crashing didn't hurt that much, but I would have preferred to crash onto something soft nevertheless.

"SCREW IT!" She shouted.

I mockingly gasped at her last remark and then returned to chase her trying to close the distance between us.

"LANGUAGE!"

Yet the distance between us increased the moment she started to throw whatever she got in her hands at me, and I was seriously questioning the laws of logic when my face received a cold splash of water drenching everything.

Where did she get a ballon and how she made one so fast, I will never know.

But I know that.

Naruto turned her back to look at me with a face full of confusion, her brain trying to process the little piece of information I gave her, it was a quick response though.

"IS NOT EVEN A BAD WORD!"

Sadly it was a fatal mistake.

Not because of her reply but the fact that she stopped, a second is all that mattered.

It was too late for her to react because I finally tackled her and capturing her with a bear hug, normally one should be careful when dealing with kids because how fragile they were but Naruto was not fragile by any means, I saw her falling from a tree and be the totally fine aftermath. Though that day really gave me a heart attack especially when she fell face flat to the ground.

"Let me go!" She struggled against me trying to find a way out of her prison, but I had her restrained her arms very well, funny for me to watch her legs flail wildly.

"You are too huggable to be left without a hug." In better response, the intensity of my hug increased even more.

Naruto might have far more chakra than I could ever hope to achieve thanks to the Kyuubi but her chakra control was terrible if not pathetic as expected, so she wasn't able to use it properly to increase her strength and overpower me or to create another mean to escape from her prison, besides I was a potential ninja with an excellent chakra control.

It was only matter of time before she gave up and ceased all sort of resistance.; but I was also glad that she did so because I was starting to get a little tired from keeping her restrained.

"You are evil Onii-chan." She sighed in defeat.

With a cocky grin, I finally released her and put the sweater on her without resistance, how it should have been in the beginning rather than start a pursuit that probably caused a considerable amount of money worth in reparations.

I wasn't lying because we practically trashed the place and broke a few pieces of furniture, like the small table in the living room. But I wasn't going to point that and ruin my good mood, besides since both of us were kids then the worst could come would be a harsh lecture.

"And you are so cute in that sweater," I added while pinching both of her cheeks which caused her to whine in annoyance at my antics. "We can conquer the Elemental nations with your cuteness alone." I placed one hand on her shoulder as the other signaling the whole world figuratively.

"No way!" She quickly broke away from me. "I want everybody to acknowledge me for something awesome and cool, not for my cuteness, that's so...so lame." She angrily pouted with crossed arms.

With her character, of course, anything girly related would be considered lame for her, but that wasn't enough reason for me to stop teasing her."Well, that's so bad because this style really screams CUTE in all senses." Her pigtails style was actually very cute and very fitting for her long hair, and her whisker marks could tempt you to pat her head.

But in my case, I merely played with her hair.

"Onii-chan!" Her blush intensified and despite she tried to show some anger at my antics rather than show embarrassment, too bad that she was failing miserably at it; she only became even cuter.

A smile couldn't leave me at all, it only became into a mischievous grin.

"Get comfortable." Not giving time for breath I picked her up and waited for her to get in position, in other words on my back so I could give her a piggy ride one of her favorites things to do when going outside, I had the strength to endure her weight and I also found them quite entertaining.

Especially in the parts when you pretended to drop her.

But I had already teased her a lot, it was some good quality time and childish fun out in the open or our home might have gotten even more trashed that it currently was.

* * *

"You have a very interesting creativity, boy." The tailor commented while handing me the finished product which I had commissioned months ago.

It wasn't a cheap commission since it was very detailed, the only thing which wasn't specified as the size of certain parts because it wasn't going to affect the whole product at all if it were a few inches bigger or shorter, besides I was a little lazy in giving such meticulous details.

"Maybe you are interested in doing some business in a foreseeable future?" I made my offer while paying her the rest of the accorded sum, the first she said to me was an indirect invitation if her tone of curiosity was any indication, and also she was praising to my 'imagination', such borrowed originality.

"Perhaps, if you can come up with something totally new and easy to make we can work out a contract." She counted the money and also checked if they weren't counterfeit.

I might have offered the contract but I lacked the motivation to re-design a plushie and remember all the details; there were many ways to make money and currently, I had some.

"Duly noted." Of course, I was never going to forget about the opportunity and it didn't have a limit date, I could begin at any time when I wanted an associate with anybody who knew about opportunities.

"Now to find something to properly wrap this."

What I had on my hands wasn't a weapon or something to related to my ambitions, it was simple but relatively expensive gift for Naruto whose birthday was a couple of days away, the last year Hiruzen gifted her a lot of ninja equipment and the final part was to take us to eat to a fancy restaurant, for the only and last time if I might add.

Naruto just didn't mix well with fancy stuff, specially the fact that she had to be dressed quite heavily and fancy, to summarize the whole thing; the two of us got permanently banned despite with the Hokage vouching for us, to the very day I was asking myself how was even possible to create a whole clusterfuck by playing with the sticks.

Naruto was just so… Naruto I guess.

I almost forgot mention that Jiraiya also gifted her with Gama-chan the frog or toad wallet that year, but it was given through Hiruzen who told Naruto that it was a gift from somebody special who she will meet someday in the future. Not a very specific answer if you ask me but for a young kid it was a good enough explanation.

Anyways it took me a lot of money, time and effort to get it right and probably obtain one of the best gifts for an 8 years old little girl. With that gift I was sure that I could surpass whatever Hiruzen and Jiraiya could gift her; a bit delusional knowing the fact that both of them surpassed me in economic power. But the love and effort would surely be taken into consideration.

On my quest to find wrap paper for her gift I had to go to a side quest which had been planned time ago, it was just a security measure on my part. Anyways I needed to go first to the park and meet with my hired Hyuuga.

The park seemed the best option for two kids to meet, it was logical to everybody eyes; besides the dark alleys were rather dangerous and the idea of turning that into a meeting point was a bit silly but also cool if done right.

Our designated spot was the bench with the best view on the playground.

I was glad that I didn't have to wait since he was already waiting for me to arrive, some time would be saved for other things.

"There was nothing out of the ordinary." He stated with the typical expressionless face from his clan, either way, I felt a bit oppressed since he didn't give me a chance to ask but at least he told me what I wanted to know.

"But is a nothing of nothing of the sorts or that you can see literally nothing?." I still hated when they said nothing and never specified the type of nothing which they were talking about, that word can be interpreted in many ways.

"The first option." The genin calmly stated.

I connected my gaze with his eyes for a moment and shrugged when I found nothing wrong so I handed him the rest of money "Okay, here it is."

After counting and checking the money he spoke. "Pleasure to do business with you." And he jumped away leaving behind a small cloud of dust

"So there was something strange?" Only after I felt that enough time had passed I asked out loud to my second Hyuuga.

"Nothing, I had checked all of his tenketsu points and also tried to see if there was any kind of genjutsu upon him." He spoke while coming from his hiding spot, I hired another one just in case that the other genin wasn't manipulated by a genjutsu or something similar, even if they claimed that their byakugan prevented them from being hypnotized one just couldn't be trustful toward boasts or possibilities; better safe than sorry.

His answer was very pleasing to hear, it simplified everything for me to proceed after all.

"Here catch."

With his quick reflexes he caught his payment with only one hand and removed the cover to find a perfectly cooked hamburger, with a bite he took his time to evaluate the flavor and texture; and the positive facial expression was enough indication that he liked it.

He smiled with a firm nod. "Farewell."

And he left in the same way which his fellow clansmen did moments ago.

Then I was finally alone a no more encounter, with a bench near it was the wise course of action to take a small break and enjoy the peaceful view of the park. To Accompany my calm appreciation was the cinnamon roll bought at a good price while I was coming, since it was on sale almost everything was already sold but I was lucky and unlucky enough to buy at least one; I would have liked to get another one for Naruto but I was quite confident that her very detailed plushie would make up for it.

Anyways as I was eating soon I realized that I wasn't relaxed as I wanted, even more, what I just learned only gave me more anxiety and stress because the doubt still lingered around and worrying if what I had been planning would be enough or I needed more countermeasures. Besides my time was limited to the next year since it would be the year of my graduation from the academy, with that in mind I wanted to do things as quick as possible without doing unnecessary rushing that might mess things up; for the current year there were a few ties I wanted to connect while others had to be done by the next month.

In fact, I was confident of achieving every objective I had set myself but my confidence wasn't at one hundred percent wasn't one hundred percent and it worried me the failure since it could cost me a lot, even if I had been analyzing all the possible variations and paths to take. It was taxing but it needed to be done if I wanted to accomplish my goals; Naruto wasn't going to be involved anytime soon at the moment I was more focused on my personal gains.

Another bite to fill my mouth put me in another train of thought.

It was clear that Hiruzen was going to get involved in my business but I had been thinking in ways to deal with him, obviously not in a murderous way but at least to make him understand my point of view and even support me in the future.

"How troublesome." I could make the Nara proud since I was going to use that line quite frequently.

I took the last bite on my bread and began my way to my home before the sun sets, even if I was in the rich zone I still didn't want to risk anything; I quote the same sentence again ' _better safe than sorry'._

* * *

"Surprise!"

We all shouted in unison, well three was a crowd after all.

We were at home, to my right was Hiruzen while Konohamaru was at my left, though he also summoned Enma, so there were 3 persons and one summon to surprise Naruto. Together we had planned her birthday and how to surprise her; normally a planning would take days if not weeks of prior preparations but we did it in only an afternoon since all of us had things to do. So Hiruzen sent Neko to escort her and also made up a good excuse to allow me to miss classes so all of us could prepare the apartment to receive her. Shadows clones were pretty useful sadly I was told that I would die if I ever were to try that jutsu. All of us combined to make a simple but meaningful scenario for a birthday with a large cake lots of colorful balloons, confetti too was made but not much since it would be a pain to clean up the aftermath and the most important thing to celebrate a party.

In other words, gifts.

All of us had gifts properly wrapped; except for Enma who only tied a small ribbon on his gift; though it was understandable why he did it because there was no way that he could wrap THAT gift on paper.

Naruto stood at the entrance for a good while with her jaw hanging open in shock...surprise it was a face of complete surprise, she didn't move from the sudden surprise that she just received after all she never had a surprise party from what I had been told by Hiruzen, he always took her to eat somewhere or just brought a small cake to share with her, something small and nice.

Our little get together was also small and nice but we were more and sharing a birthday with more people was far better than with only one.

It was only thanks to Neko who managed to break the stupor from Naruto with a single pat on her head, Naruto then ran towards us and attempted to hug us in one go which was impossible so she hugged us one by one, with some hesitation towards Enma w because she was never properly introduced to him even if he used to babysit her when she was only a baby.

But with that aside he received his dosages of warm hugs of our favorite blonde girl.

We sang together and played silly games together which always resulted in a headache for Enma while Hiruzen just laughed from his seat, the reason was that we always ended overboard and Enma had to watch that we didn't break anything of value or injure ourselves, very considerate from his part especially that I was around 11 years and wasn't exactly a snotty brat like Konohamaru who almost fell from the table moments ago.

I bet that if Enma failed to save him he would receive a very harsh scolding from Hiruzen or maybe Konohamaru parents, though Hiruzen would also be blamed and receive his share of scolding too.

Either way, we had lots of fun.

"Here Naruto." Hiruzen was the first to give her a present, I couldn't deny that I was also curious of what was inside the box.

"Thanks, Jiji!" She happily accepted it and without seconds thoughts she started to rip the paper apart so the mystery wouldn't remain a mystery anymore.

My eyes widened in surprise at watching the recently revealed mystery.

"A kimono?!"

In fact I think it was a yukata, but that wasn't entirely pointed because the way she expressed herself contained a lot of discontents, Naruto speak like that or they might get the wrong idea, though receiving clothes in your birthday is something not very well accepted, after all, we were kids and as kids we had preference over toys and cool stuff.

However Hiruzen's face didn't change at all, is more he actually chuckled his amusement of her rash attitude. "Unfold it."

Naruto obeyed and from the yukata, a storage scroll soon fell to the floor. I immediately took the lead from the moment I noticed the storage scroll since Naruto could probably burn the scroll with that terrible chakra control of hers.

I channeled a bit to the seal and a cloud of smoke happened next; he definitely added that feature for more suspense because storage scrolls created a cloud of smoke but a very small one.

Enma quickly dispelled the cloud along with Hiruzen, only to reveal a small loan of tickets which it had the words 'eat whatever you want', a coupon for all the Akimichi restaurants and new sets of ninja equipment, kunais, shurikens, even more, scrolls, etc.

Out of instinct, I looked at my wrapped gift.

….

Shit.

Way too overkill.

"Wow, this is awesome!" Awesome for you! How could I hope to compare such a sea of presents? It made you even reconsider that love and effort were practically nothing against the face of money.

Then came Konohamaru's gift which was a doll, if I might add it had a kimono made of silk and I had the beliefs that its hair was actually real, but I didn't put much effort into finding those answers.

Enma gift wasn't a surprise, it was a large weapon. Normally one would worry about such a thing since kids should carry around a weapon, in normal societies of course, but the weapon that Enma gifted her was a bo staff in other words a blunt weapon which wouldn't bring any serious injury the moment she messes up in her training except that maybe she could hit her head or somewhere in her body but it wouldn't be that dangerous in comparison to a cut that a sharp weapon could give.

Honestly, I didn't know what to do for the matter, Naruto wasn't somebody to use weapons except for the kunai as far as I could remember but I could easily adapt and even find an advantage from it.

At last but not least it was my own present for her.

She thanked me dearly as she always did when I gave her something, she ripped the paper and opened the box.

Then she stared at her new present with a blank expression, I knew she was going to be confused when seeing it because what I gifted her was something out from another world figuratively speaking, wait maybe it should be literally speaking.

She grabbed her new plushy and brought it out to everybody to see and they were also surprised, after all, they never saw something like that in their life.

What I commissioned to the tailor was a very cartoonish green pig badly dressed as a bluebird, and when I mean badly dressed was exactly that. His costume cannot fool even the blind, but that was entirely the point of the plushie to look adorable and silly.

"His name is Mr. Piggy McCool." I said, breaking her from her train of thoughts.

"This is weird Onii-chan." Ouch right in the feelings Naruto. "But he looks funny." And she proceeded to hug the plushy with all the force she could muster while giving an adorable smile, one of a happy girl.

To avoid jealousy on my part Naruto quickly ran to me and embraced me in a warm hug too.

"Thanks, Onii-chan"

I returned the embrace as my laugh made itself loud enough to everybody present in the room. "Happy birthday Imouto-chan."

This was nice.

* * *

 **AN: If you want a better image of Mr piggy McCool just type the name in google with the tag Angry birds.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: If I were the owner of Naruto I wouldn't have made Naruto so pathetic when Sasuke was involved.**

* * *

It was another beautiful day in Konoha, the sun was shining and the birds were chirping. Kids were running or playing while the parents were talking between themselves about their lives with their families.

The gentle breeze which caressed my face told me that it was going to be a good day for me, and I really started to believe when I found a coin on the road; though it was only a ryo, free money is free money and was always welcome to my pocket.

But the truth is that I was only fooling myself, I was foolishly attempting to fool myself because it wasn't going to be a good day; not by a long shot. I had been thinking and thinking over and over again and also had been thinking on every possible outcome and how to deal with it in the best way possible so I could get something from it and the worst case of scenarios nothing would be lost or won.

All of that was tiresome for my brain, it was a burden which I was always carrying with me which I was the only one to carry because nobody could or would help me to ease the burden. Many things I wished or hoped, but hoping was pointless just as wishes, one can only trust the reality and the logical possibilities. For example, when you are falling you only wait to meet the ground not that somehow a big bird will prevent you from falling.

I preferred to center my thought in realism rather than pointless possibilities or better-called impossibilities.

But despite everything I decided to proceed with my plan because there was no more time; honestly, there is always time for everything but postponing was an option which couldn't be accepted for the risk that things could go FUBAR; time was essential and couldn't be ignored. The Kyuubi attack was the responsible for my overzealous attitude toward the topic of time, if I wasn't that careless I would have prepared myself to deal with the situation better far better from what I did years ago.

But the past is in past and must remain buried forever, that's my line to deal with the past suffering when the old wounds try to re-open once again and pester my mind, Naruto is now my family and I'm slowly liking Hiruzen more so maybe one day I would also call him Jiji just like Naruto does.

I lost but also gained to replace what was lost.

So maybe you never lose but only leave a vacant place for another thing that is similar or even better to take its place.

At first I the doubt was very strong lingering on my mind and giving a lot of goosebump at my gut; though there was nothing that could have been done because anybody would be this nervous if they were about to pull the same move like me.

It was going to be the biggest gamble of my entire life, and I meant both of them.

Everything was stake but at the same time nothing.

It was confusing to say at least.

Not really.

From my perspective mind you.

Anyways with the same plan being repeated over and over again in my head I actually memorized the exact words, it was eating me alive the stress and the burden felt a heavy weight on my back and every step which I gave sent jolts of electricity to my spine that if I didn't have better control of myself I could be practically jumping on every step.

The scenario was still the same, in the same park, with the same people and the same trees. But the environment, not same mind you, was different not that it looked different but it felt different. It wasn't alive and cheerful like the one I left behind but it was more monotonous sterner; the silence only strengthened the point.

But when one decides to sit and analyze the sudden change can be comprehended because the zone wasn't meant for young families, it was meant for people of the third age.

Though there weren't many of those around.

Well mostly for the case of the shinobi but even for civilians become old was also quite an accomplishment because those also don't survive that long on this world, bandits, rogue-nin or wild animals. Lose your youth was something truly frightening, maybe that's why Mighty Gai always screams youth and preaching about it like some kind of religion, hilariously stupid if you ask me, but at same time should be respected because he is somebody who almost killed Madara Uchiha thanks to his forbidden technique of the 8 Inner Gates; which reminds me that I should take a look into it because it is a very useful power-up. Even if it requires a lot of physical hard work.

So I kept going forward as I was trying to maintain my posture to the public eye, the person who radiates confidence with every step.

Honestly, I was proud of myself when I didn't crumble at the pot when my target was within my field of vision, the darkish aura was overwhelming very similar to KI but with the difference that it wasn't mentally affecting me or suggesting me to kill myself too avoid potential suffering.

I was already too involved to back away.

"Hello Elder-sama, I heard that are very skilled in Shogi so I wanted to test myself." I took my seat in front of my target, then I placed the board followed by the pieces, he allowed me to continue but that lone eye was emitting very powerful aura which wanted to crush me.

"I wonder who told you that Kichiro, perhaps Hiruzen?" His cold reply completely froze me on the spot, a knot formed on my throat as my breaths stopped.

I didn't know how much time passed but my focus wasn't on that, I felt like all my months of careful planning were for nothing. And it was soul-crushing.

I only looked at him with wide eyes stopping myself from uttering a word, it could only make the situation worse for myself.

"How I know is not of your business Kichiro, so just as I know your name you also know mine, am I correct?" His tone was so calm yet I was feeling completely defeated.

"You are correct Danzo-sama." What more could I say? My quick thinking was failing me and didn't and the contingency plans were being destroyed one by one, I only had the last resort which never expected to use it so quickly.

Surprise, my target all this was Danzo Shimura. Now you could understand why I sent Hyuuga to inspect him, I wanted to know if he possessed the implanted sharingans after all nothing can get past the Byakugan, even if he sealed them then it would leave a void space which would be odd because there is a clear difference between a void space from an empty one. But maybe he didn't get them yet and I was unsure when he would get them if he actually gets the sharingans; because from what I gathered all the eyes from the Uchihas had been destroyed or stolen. Danzo could have been the responsible but Itachi wouldn't have accepted that and outright destroy him so Obito was the most possible candidate because from what I could remember he had a room filled with sharingans.

But why I was interested in Danzo?

I should stay the hell away from him and try to get rid of him as quickly as possible, when I was 3 that may have been one of my objectives because he would have been a nuisance to my plans but after talking with Hiruzen and reading from his library I discovered a very interesting piece of history from the times when the Konoha was recently founded.

Root always existed.

And Tobirama Senju was the founder and first leader of Root, passing the leadership to Danzo Shimura; his student.

And is very logical because every nation always had a department dedicated only to black ops, people ready to do the unspeakable just for the betterment of the nation. After all the truth was a war is never over, it just passed to the shadows; an open war is only a formality because all the villages are in constant war even with Suna who is supposed to be our ally.

And everything that I needed to do and wanted to do, could only be done through the shadows.

My original plan was to engage conversation with him with the excuse of a casual game of shogi, from there I would follow a topic depending on the situation.

"I am sure that your intentions were not to play a match of Shogi against me but to use it as an excuse to avoid suspiciously, am I correct again?" He shifted the position of his seat to properly face me.

"Yes." I nodded yet I was very close to stutter.

"So let's start with this cover." His only normal arms signaled the whole board.

He was the first to move, a pawn was first to go to the frontlines.

"Explain why did you want to speak with me."

I replied with the same move. "I heard the Hokage mention your name."

I almost flinched when he placed the next piece with force creating a blunt sound from the board. " **Don't** lie to me boy."

I took very deeps breaths trying to calm myself, my nerves skyrocket with his last actions as I was sweating bullets. I felt so stupid to believe that I could play him on my hands, he was a shinobi with decades of experience while I was a person with knowledge of possible future and outcomes and also the past, but I couldn't hope to match the present. I was feeling cornered, very dangerously cornered; or maybe it was the aura that was always present which put me in that position.

Either way, I just pulled my last resort.

" _We are the unseen one who supports the great tree of Konoha from the depths of earth."_ And just like that his posture stiffened and leaned back from the board.

There was silence between us, we could hear the passing breezes and flying leaves. However, the aura and the crushing feeling above me was gone in an instant.

"I am not going to question how you know that but I will ask why?" He did his next move as inquiring about my last sentence.

I couldn't explain but all of my confidence returned in a brim, t was like the aura was responsible of my failure and fears. I wasn't nervous anymore, perhaps it was a layer of defense on his part which can break the weak spirit.

"I have my reasons Danzo-sama." I wasn't going to explain he only needed to know what he needed to know nothing more and nothing less.

And my next move was done.

He captured one of my pawns and I never saw that coming.

"Being vague is not the way to be." I lost a pawn and I couldn't recover it and probably I could lose even more with my next move.

"The world is filled with deceit, why this should be different?" I didn't attack either defend just a neutral movement.

"An interesting answer." He replied in kind, a bishop was positioned to a very interesting position.

"May I ask you a question?" I kept moving my pawns, my eyes staring back at him.

"You may." He nodded.

"Do you want to become Hokage?" I didn't move a piece this time, I stared at him directly to his eye and I regretted that action, I felt how he pierced my eyes and reached my soul like he tried to rip it away from me.

"Why would you like to know that?" He didn't show any interest however, he kept his stoic face.

"Curiosity." I shrugged.

"Curiosity killed the cat." And just like that, another pawn of mine was gone and there was nothing I could do.

Geez, I felt as if he was just playing with me as if I was nothing more like a nuisance.

"Only if it was stupid enough to do not back away in the correct moment." I countered his statement with mine, it was obvious that curiosity can be both good and bad but one must know when to back away.

Danzo again was silent for a moment but his focus was on the board, I didn't believe for one second that I had him on a hard situation which forced him to take his time to think on a counter strategy but the most logical possibility that he was thinking his answer very carefully. I didn't like when he was silent and coldly calculating his next words.

After long agonizing seconds, he spoke.

"The title of the Hokage is given not because of the power of what one posse but also the approval of the village, Hiruzen is a charismatic leader loved by everybody and would give their lives for him without a second thought."

I didn't know his hidden intentions with that answer but he was indirectly telling me that he wasn't interested in being a Hokage.

"Hiruzen is just like Hashirama, he posses the Will of fire and has that aura which tells you that you aren't in front of a leader but of a friend which you can always count if trouble arises."

I believed him as much as I believed a crippled man to fight against an army and come out victorious.

"And Minato followed that example as well, he was supposed to become one of the most powerful shinobi of the Elemental nations and inherit the title of Kami no Shinobi."

But I will never know if he was telling the truth and if he somehow would get the sharingans.

"So you aren't interested to become the Hokage then." I just said, a quick reply to his long stupid speech.

"Do you think I would take the title despite nobody would be willing to fight for me or die?" He narrowed his lone eye, his wrinkles also moved along as if he felt insulted. It was a very difficult situation I tell you.

"Perhaps, every spoken answer are relative." Again I shrugged my shoulders showed my disinterest.

"That is true, lies can be found anywhere and at any time." He didn't take it as an offense, is more I don't think that he actually cared at all and was faking every reaction just to see how would I react.

After losing many pieces I finally managed to capture a pawn of him, not before I released a tired sigh."So my question has never been answered."

I didn't know when but it just happened.

It was so fast for my eye to see.

My bishop was there right fucking there but then was replaced by his knight, and what worried me more was that I didn't even blink.

"It has been answered but is up to you to believe me or not." And the aura that had been crushing me returned to finish what it started. "I ask you again Kichiro, why?" However, I was accustomed to or I believed to be capable to handle it better.

I took his knight with force, fatal mistake because it looked as if was directly challenging him. "I have a reason that can't be spoken out in the public."

He was unfazed by my mistake. "I _see._ "

We didn't speak more, after all we said, everything that we should have said on a public space. In that we had a silent agreement, confidentiality was important because nobody knows when there were peering ears that shouldn't be getting involved at all.

Sadly it didn't last as much as I hoped.

He ended the match in 10 moves, totally crushing me.

"We will continue at a later time, this match is over and is your loss."

I nodded hiding the shock of how he defeated me so efficiently and swift.

I stood up from my seat and bowed. "Until we meet again Danzo-sama."

And I used shunshin to get away from there as fast as possible, being there made me sick terribly sick.

I almost threw up my breakfast when nobody was looking at me.

But at least I felt a safer when I made a good distance enough to not be on my line of sight.

Though only one thing mattered at the moment.

I pulled it off, somehow I managed to do a part of my plan. If I wasn't a nerve wrecking mess I would be laughing to everyone to see and mark me as mental, I had no idea yet I had many ideas and it confused me a lot.

I felt terrible and good at the same time.

Recollecting my thoughts and putting them in a straight line I came to the conclusion that I needed a drink.

Well, not a one with alcohol because I wasn't an adult yet so apple juice would do nicely.

Yet I ended up throwing up the moment I arrived.

* * *

The Moon was already there giving us natural light, however, it wasn't that late, from a window one could see people walking on the streets and finding their own way for entertainment.

But for Naruto it was time to go to sleep, she needed one if she wanted to be at one hundred percent for tomorrow's exam. I promised her that if her marks were above 90 I would let her eat all the dango that she wants, or what we could afford without going broke. Though it was besides the point of why it mattered the night of that day.

"Where are you going Onii-chan?" Naruto was already on the bed, wearing her new pajamas with included her santa's hat with a big plushy popon. Her hair was totally down which I took my time to comb because I wanted to avoid a very tiresome morning into combing it back to its original form.

Those were the morning when I thinking about cutting her hair so it would be far eaasier to deal with it.

"I have to go and meet with my potential sensei, so after my graduation, I will become his apprentice." It wasn't exactly a lie but it also wasn't the truth, even if it wasn't a direct lie it left a terrible taste in my mouth.

"Cool." Such innocence, I felt so bad at remembering that in the ninja world innocence is lost at a very young age. "Can I go too?"

Is better that you never go to that place Naruto you belong to be here and make more friends.

"No, you can't" I answered.

"Why?" She tilted her head to the right a bit confused, after all, we always did things together.

"Because he can only accept one to become his apprentice." That was a lie and it felt far worse from what I told her earlier. However, Naruto was never going to get near Danzo and I was relieved at knowing that Hiruzen would be there for her to avoid this meeting.

"Oh…" She looked down, disappointed I could say but not sad, which was good because I didn't want to leave her heartbroken.

"Don't be sad, I have a very good feeling that your future sensei will be great; in both aspects." I smiled, since it was true Kakashi despite his many defects is a great person along with Jiraiya who is a pervert but you can trust him no matter what.

She also gave me a genuine smile.

"Go to sleep tomorrow you have classes." And I pulled the blankets over her so she could be warm and comfy there.

I kissed her forehead and took my leave.

Normally that was the part where I went to my room to sleep but as I said before the night was different from the others, I went to my closet and grabbed the first sweater I got with my hands. From there I closed the door of my room and went to the entrance.

Before I opened said door I took deep breaths for mental preparation because I was going back to the monster which resides under the great tree of Konoha.

And I was outside.

But not alone.

"Don't ask any questions and do not speak, just follow."

I nodded.

He took the lead.

And so I followed.

* * *

AN: NUUUUUUU I CAN'T BELEIVE IT WHY HIM?!

Honestly, I like the character of Danzo but I hate how he was portrayed in canon, he only was only used as power hungry fool who doesn't understand that his actions only created more enemies and problems. He is pretty much every country dark side and those dark sides know very well how the world moves and how one should act.

I the majority of stories Danzo is not correctly portrayed or is used just as the canon or simply the bash him or outright kill him.

I don't mean that there should be stories that Danzo should be a good guy, i mean that he should be the same cold motherfucker but properly used, just like in "The sealed Kunai" Best story ever if I might add. Or "Ghost" Also an awesome story with a perfect portrayed Danzo very logical and cold.

Next chapter will be harder to write tho.

Dammit, what have I done….


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto obviously!**

* * *

AN: Don't stay here start reading :D xd

* * *

It wasn't a long journey because we were at fast pace, or at a speed which I could handle. It was taxing, I didn't know that I lacked of stamina. Or maybe it was because of the speed that it tired me quicker than usual. Either way the ROOT Anbu didn't say anything or did something; he simply kept going.

We had jumped across rooftops at first but when we arrived to one of the many forest of the village we changed our way of travel, jumping over the thick branches, from there I almost fell twice for a miscalculation and as expected my guide didn't do shit.

I kinda hated him but maybe he was under orders, or simply he didn't care at all.

"We've arrived Danzo-sama."

What?

Since when did we arrive?

We were in the middle of the forest for crying out loud! Not a secret base where shinobis are brutally trained. It didn't make any sense unless there was a secret entrance somewhere and he was going to signal me where to search.

"Leave us." However I felt as if the world around us shattered like a mirror better said to my eyes was like that. My surroundings started to crack and piece by piece fell to the ground only to disappear to the void.

Genjutsu, now things make more sense.

Then the same sickening aura began to crush my spirit.

My breaths instantly turned erratic, my nose felt like failing me so I could only rely to my mouth to gather oxygen and don't ass out for the lack of oxygen.

It was a complete turn of events, I was already on a very simple room which had a table and two cushions right at the middle. But what caught my attention was Danz who was at the other side of the room heading towards the table supporting himself with his cane.

"Only us know about this place, is not completely safe, but enough for hold an important conversation." And he took seat on his respective place.

"I understand." With a deep breath I headed to to be in front of him once again.

"Now I want to hear your answer."

I wasn't surprised with his start, after all it was left unsaid.

"I want protect Naruto." That was my answer because there were things he only needed to know or what I allowed him to know. Also what I only needed to achieve for the meantime.

His lone eyebrow rose in mild interest. "A partial true I can discern, but not the real reason." Like that he placed both hands on the table where he supported his head showing a clear interest. "So what are you hiding boy?"

I recoiled at feeling that my answers were useless against somebody like him, but why should I be shocked if it had already happened at the morning?

"Things that shouldn't be spoken." There, the cat was out of the bag.

"This reasons, are a burden?"

"Yes."

"Would you like to ease that burden?" If you mean for free then no chance in the seven hells, everything has a price.

"No."

"Perhaps there are things that can be spoken?" Correct some thing can be told however I would leave all the critical information out of your reach, no matter what my trust will never be gained by you.

"Yes."

"I see." The bandaged man returned to his original position with a nod of approval, however his stoic face face was unchanged. It was always present and seemed like it would ever leave the room. "Words are just that, words. They held as much importance as a signed paper." Even if his face didn't show any change his voice sent shivers down to my spine.

Without thinking I spoke hoping that it would help my situation."I want to see the world united under the banner of Konoha." And I will be at the top, however that is something you can't know Danzo and never will.

Silence.

But swear that I saw him give a smirk, the smirk that tells the satisfaction from the individual and telling that he finally found what had been searching for so long.

"Ambitious, but why not as equals? A future where all of us can understand and help each others; where wars are non-existent." Don't bullshit me Danzo, you are the least person to preach that nonsense, you are marked as the monster of Konoha but to speak alike that he must had a reason.

He wanted my reaction.

"Is a weak solution destined to fail at some point, one must use power to keep control and protect. People needs a firm leader rather than a group who can't get a quick decision." There was no hesitation on any of my word.

"Is true." Relief engulfed me, I felt like a heavy weight was lifted from me, I believed that I could began the real conversation with him and open the contract to be negotiated but my mind went blank when I felt KI, real killing intent. And let me tell that what they teach you at the academy is a complete joke to the real thing, It was far worse than the crushing aura. It was as many nails piercing all across your body and the more time you were exposed to it the more it felt that those nails were burying on you t reach our organs. "However I can recognize your eyes, and they tell me a lot. I am sure that Hiruzen also noticed them."

Many thoughts ran wild in my mind, and the predominant was to kill myself to avoid what kind of monstrosity he could do to me. "You know a lot and things that you shouldn't know, so I ask you."

It was so hard to lift my gaze as trying to remain in the same position if I were to give to my instinct I would be on the ground, it was too hard. I simply wanted to give up and ran away to never return

"Why I shouldn't just get rid of you?" But kept going forward and was able to caught a small glance to his face, it scared me again. "You might be a threat to Konoha."

But then it was gone, just like that.

As if it was never there.

I couldn't explain why but it didn't matter at the time, perhaps he stopped to allow me to properly speak or maybe he had already surrounded me with Root agents either way I gathered my courage to defy him or what I assume it was defying.

"I have 3 important reasons."

One finger was up.

"One, I wouldn't have come here to speak with you if I was supposed to threaten Konoha, after all you are the one who eradicates them." True, nobody would be stupid enough directly meet the enemy unarmed.

The second was up.

"Second, Hiruzen would ask questions and I know that he wouldn't approve of my disappearance because it would hurt Naruto." True and also that I asked to have a temporary tracking seal on me before this meeting, if something were to happen to me the seal would disappear and Hiruzen would know.

I don't know their relationship between the two but I can tell that they are in agreeable terms of cooperation for the betterment of Konoha but any of them can step out of the boundaries in each other business.

And then I Lifted my third finger.

"And that leads me to the third point, I am a very important person for Naruto, she would be crushed if something were to happen to me, it would be sad that Naruto would hate the village just for a misunderstanding."

Maybe it was a mistake but I was inclined to believe that the importance of the Jinchuuriki and allegiance for the village was far more important.

His lone eye narrowed, he disliked me for the moment but at the same something more which I couldn't tell. "That was quite clever to say boy." It was a praise or a mere comment I didn't care but I dodged a bullet there.

I shrugged.

"After all there must be a reason of why Naruto isn't here training to become the most powerful weapon ever created." He didn't say anything just silence. "I assume I am correct, right?"

It seems that somehow I managed to shut him up and it was a great victory for me, though there was the possibility that he was letting me believe that I won against him in that little thing. Besides Danzo had the power to get Naruto when she turned three just as he did with many orphans but he never did, Hiruzen might had been involved into preventing that or maybe they had an agreement. Either way she was thankfully away from his clutches.

"You are interesting." The same comment was said again, but it was always different in the way which he said it.

I showed my foxy grin, it wasn't with bad intentions but from self appraisal. Though I shouldn't be like that in front of him unless I wanted to be engulfed with KI and I was sure that the amount he released moments before was just a minimal portion of the real thing.

"I have my moments."

From there we engaged in a light conversation, it mostly involved about my skills and what I could and potential. He needed to know his future weapon so he could sharpen it and give a proper remodeling.

"I am surprised how you managed to hide from me, I would have noticed you or any of my agents." I doubt it, I really doubt it; perhaps he let me go that day.

"I hide myself the day of recruitment." I wa lying there, it was never my intention to actually hide but I was on a very low moment of my life, I wouldn't have cared if Danzo recruited me that day but that he left without me it relieved me.

His eyebrow rose at my answer. "You hide yourself from me and now you are willingly here." Perhaps he wanted a better explanation of my actions, shame I didn't have one.

"I have my reasons."

"I see" Alway after he says that line he keeps silent for a while as his eye stare at me as judging me for anything that I might do. "You want to be trained by me and work with me but not for me, am I correct?" And I was proved correct.

"You are correct ." I knew what I was getting into or at least I had a very good idea of what could involve getting trained by Root, but that would be the end of everything I wanted to work and train with them but **NOT** **FOR** them.

"You would be a loose end." Expected answer, he hated loose ends for the possibility of an information leak, but he didn't know that I would never leak any information because it wouldn't benefit me at all is more it could affect me and my plans.

"My allegiances are only for Konoha and Naruto, besides a lot of things would be lost if you were to bind or seal me." For the first time I looked directly at his lone eye, the other time he searched for mine so he could crush me but now I was showing him that I wouldn't back away that time.

"Speak then, I want to hear you." He signaled his hand, the one which wasn't bandaged.

Show time.

" _Saru, you must protect those who have faith in you and who love the village, and train up to those to whom you can entrust the next generation… from tomorrow, you will be the Hokage…!_ "

I grinned when I saw that eye of his widen in surprise or maybe shock, either way I wanted to see his reaction at hearing something that only few knew.

"Those are…"

I never thought that I would have the guts to cut him from speaking and impose myself, but it happened as if was totally natural.

"Last words from Tobirama Senju the second Hokage."

His hand tightened around his cane while his eye stared at me ready to send me daggers with them. "How can I believe that Hiruzen didn't told you about this?" True, it could be a possibility but I never talked about that topic with the Hokage but he wouldn't believe if I were to tell him, thankfully I had something that only him but him knew about.

" _I am a shinobi, I've made up my mind to die on the battlefield like a proper shinobi. Sarutobi...What are you thinking now? Are you prepared to make that sacrifice?"_

I almost flinched when I heard the table being hit with force but not enough to destroy it on the spot, he only wanted me to stop talking. "I have heard enough, now I can understand your reasons better."

My foxy grin returned.

"Perhaps we could discuss this over a game or shogi? Or maybe a cup of tea?"

 _What?_

I don't know how, I just don't know I never blinked. I was there right fucking there in front of him with my eyes on him grinning.

And then somehow his cane was on my throat touching a very important artery of my neck which I felt the effects of having it blocked. It wasn't painful but highly uncomfortable.

"Don't get cocky boy."

A mistake a terrible one but I was thankful that it wasn't costly.

I waited for him to remove his cane before having the idea to talk again.

My grin was gone, replaced by a face of seriousness. "The conditions had been stated, what more you need to know?"

"You are going to graduate from the Academy, but you will fail the genin exams." He said, nothing more he just said it.

"I see no problem." Truly I wasn't very interested in working with nameless people who held no importance.

"I want to know about Kirigakure situation and see how it will benefit us if we were involved." So he was keeping tabs on the civil war of Kiri, I wasn't exactly surprised but it was a very good thing especially for what I had in mind.

A very powerful tool resided there and maybe I was still one time to retrieve before him.

"I accept, though I have a request from there."

"Speak." It was harsh his tone but he didn't have any malicious intent with it, for the moment.

"I would like if you could retrieve somebody from there."

After all I had the correct words to turn that unclaimed tool into mine and mine alone.


	11. Chapter 12

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**_

* * *

It was a quiet afternoon at my home, the only sound that was present was the water flowing from the sink, since I was calmly washing all the dishes and pots which were used to cook the lunch for a very eager Naruto who was about to come.

Right…

"Onii-chan!"

Now.

She came running at my position where she quickly proceeded to tackle me for a hug. By then I had stopped doing the cleaning and prepared myself from the inevitable future, though she was never going to be able to make me fall with her to the floor because of the size difference and also that in case that I somehow was caught off the guard then my feet would channel chakra and technically glue me to the floor.

Anyways with her in my arms I did as many spins as possible in the minimal spawn of time, a very common action for enjoy the heat of the moment and with her all the time was enjoyable. Though there were times which I could question that statement for example when she acted that stubborn to dress a very elegant Kimono for a special dinner with the Hokage and his family; to sums thing up she ended up ripping the Kimono. But we found a solution and we still laugh at the past events when they are brought up in the casual conversation. Nevertheless is a nice experience to have her around.

"Yes?" I was the only one responsible to always keep the straight face for any situation after all.

Once on her feet she was wearing her unique foxy grin, one which tell that something very cool happened and couldn't wait to tell me everything. Though I couldn't differentiate that foxy smile or grin which she uses when she did something relatively evil from the other that I had been saying.

"Today we found out our elemental affinities and mine is Wind!"

Told ya.

But the fact that her affinity was wind didn't surprise me in the slightest, I knew it beforehand but one couldn't act all that disinterested, it wouldn't look good on the person and might hurt the feelings of the other. Thing that I didn't want to do ever.

"That's a very exotic affinity here in Konoha, I think the amount of Wind user can be counted with my hand." I softly patted her head wearing a bright smile too.

She looked up at me with eyes filled with glee."Really?"

Either small or big achievement, Naruto took them all the same.

"Yep, that only makes you more special." Unlike me who prefer the big picture or what I consider one but I should change that way of thinking because on this world small achievement also have value perhaps not as much as a big feat, obviously. Either way I appraised her affinity.

"Though it will be kinda hard to find you a sensei, perhaps we could ask the Hokage to move some contacts." Honestly I only knew two, Asuma Sarutobi and Danzo Shimur,. and between the two Danzo had more experience but as stated not a chance in hell he would get near Naruto and Asuma would be too occupied with his own Team to actually be able to teach her some stuff. So that only left Baki and Temari from Suna, it our situation kinda sucked but we will manage something when the time comes.

Naruto grabbed her chin as she looked to the roof in search for answers which definitely were not up there yet she was so determined to find something there.

"Jiji will do it." And I was the one who suggested the idea, hopefully she had that in mind before her reply.

"Anyways wash the dishes." It was time for her to have some responsibilities after all, she couldn't be all dependent of me, especially that she would be alone for a long time.

It was expected to get a negative reaction from her part, she never once had to do something that wasn't involved with Ninja or academy related, I was the one who took care so she could focus more in the other and shine at the academy.

"What?!" Though I couldn't tell if she was angry or just shocked to hear me say that particular request. But I decided to chose that she was shocked if her jaw hanging open with wide eyes were any indication.

"If one cook the other must clean, that's the universal rule." I quickly stated the universal rule of living arrangements, and there were more rules but for the moment only was allowed to be known.

Naruto quickly broke from the initial shock and came up with her response which involved to pointing an accusing finger at me. "But you always did the dishes!"

Now she wasn't angry but a bit pissed unless a frown was a new type of shock or happiness expression which was beyond unlikely.

To counter her reaction I simply poked her forehead just like Itachi used to do it with his brother. "Yep when you used to be a little girl." But it wasn't that effective to put it bluntly, she slapped my hand away. Though it wasn't with bad intentions because it didn't even sting a bit.

She sent me her personal stare, the stare which I perfectly knew that how pissed she was. Perhaps I did a mistake in raising her...or well in guiding her in the road of life, she didn't change her stubbornness at all and probably I spoiled her a little more than necessary.

BUT!

There was a solution to deal with her type, she was too prideful.

I was going to take advantage of her pride but at later date her little pride problems will need to be fixed or might affect her in her career; though Hiruzen would probably have thought of a solution already.

"You know what?" I gave over exaggerated shrug. "You are correct , you can't do this task because you are still a little girl." Every weakness must be exploited in the ninja world, honor is for the samurai and the death after all.

And just with those words I got the reaction which I wanted from her, her face flushed with embarrassment and anger for being mocked. Though she could hardly qualify for a little girl because for a 9 years old she was taller than the average kid and height mattered a lot for judge a person; all of that was thanks to me and the balanced diet that I for-…I proposed her to eat..

"No! I'm a big girl and I will show you, dattebayo!" And there it goes her speaking tick, no matter what I did and how many hours I spent in correcting her that dammed tick never left her vocabulary, though in the bright side it only happened when she was very excited or too lost in the heat of the moment.

With her declaration she ran to the sink and began with the cleaning.

"Alright then!" And I took my leave from the kitchen leaving her behind and start the countdown of my victory.

3

2

1

"That's not fair Onii-chan!" There it goes.

However I was too far gone to get caught in the crossfire, after all I was already at my room opening the door so I could get on the bed and relax for the rest of the day. My room was more livid and I had been giving it some of my personal touches like color and what decorations should have. My favorite was the festival lamp which hangs at the roof right at the center. Then it mostly had my ninja equipment around, some books about the art of sealing and a lot of paper with ink to practice.

Hiruzen at learning about my interest in sealing was happy to give me a few tips and indications and of course my sealing kit, however he strictly told me to only limit myself to create a storage seal because if I were to do it wrong then it would only explode into a cloud of smoke, from what he told me other seals when they malfunction or are drawn incorrectly they literally explode or are set ablaze and in the worst case of scenario it starts to absorb everything within range like a black hole.

On my bed I had been wondering about the situation, about how I would tell Naruto that I was going to leave. I wasn't thinking about it because I was focused in doing the house chores or academy stuff but with the free time to spare it always lead me to think about that. The only thing I could be sure was that it was going to be hard; for both of us.

To my relief, my train of thought was stopped when the window was opened and somebody passed through it. It would be normal that anybody would freak out and scream bloody murder when somebody so suddenly and uninvited entered your house but here it was quite normal. Though I still I didn't like that one time they would walk in in the middle of something more private, Anbu can be trusted to do not step out of the settled boundaries or try something bad.

"The hokage is requesting your presence." The Anbu was Neko or maybe Inu; honestly I couldn't tell the difference between the masks because they looked very similar in the design. But the hair color was a free give away of who was behind it, Yugao Uzuki but I couldn't let her know that because it would only raise questions and suspicions about me.

I looked at her for a moment before getting up and stretching all my body hoping to hear the satisfying pop in your bones. "I will be going."

But I couldn't leave the house unannounced it would be very rude and leave a very bad message, and knowing Naruto she would take it very bad.

That was a point to take into consideration when the time to speak with her came, to the very day she didn't change in that aspect and it worried me. If she felt like somebody was abandoning her then she would take it as true and grieve for it as if that person died. I had been thinking into taking her to Inoichi for some sessions or at least a very capable psychologist to deal with that particular problem but I never found one and Inoichi was always busy since he was a clan head and worked at the I&T department.

"Naruto I am going to talk with Hokage-sama!" I had to shout from the door or she might have not hear me because I was sure that she was still bitter from her defeat and grumbling while washing.

It didn't take long before she appeared in front of me with an expectant face. "Can I go too?"

I was going to deny her request because I was pretty sure of what Hiruzen wanted to discuss with me but much to my relief Yugao did it for me.

"Apologies Naruto-san but Hokage-sama only wants to speak with Kichiro-san." She is a life saver! Actually that was exaggerated but still I didn't want to be the bad guy of the movie and tell her no.

She pouted at first but her smile returned as quick as possible."Aww, well tell Jiji I said Hi!" Then she started to wave her right hand at us.

The Anbu took her leave first and was waiting for me outside, I wasn't going to let her wait for me more than necessary

"You got it!" I kissed her forehead before playing with her pigtails, it was something that I couldn't resist to do every time I saw them. Well maybe not ALL the time but in many occasions I teased her a bit no matter the place which we were, either a public or private.

Only after that I took my leave through the window and follow Yugao to the Hokage's office.

* * *

"You called?" Honestly I didn't know what to tell him, even if I had time in the way it wasn't enough for think a good answer or an explanation leaving the whole joining Root out but at the end I shouldn't lie to him after all he trust me just as I trust him...to a certain extent. Don't judge, in this world everybody hides something.

However everything that I had been thinking came to an abrupt halt the moment I stepped in, I felt a hand on my shoulder quickly push me against the wall with a lot of force that it actually hurt my back the moment it made contact. However the shock prevented me to say something or even yell, I was overdrive and only after everything happened did I begin to process my situation.

"KAI!" The responsible was Hiruzen himself, he was the one who forcefully pushed me against the wall out of the blue and placed his whole palm against my forehead but it didn't end there, no sir; I felt how his chakra was injected into my system and it was beyond uncomfortable to have foreign chakra in my system.

His face was deadly serious at first but after a moment I his face softened and allowed me to stand on my feet.

"What the hell?!" That was my honest reaction, I never once expected that to happen. I was expecting him to be waiting on his chair not an ambush and treat me as some kind of enemy spy who was just discovered. Though I must say for his age his grip is very strong.

"Why did you do that?!" My body was still unadjusted at the chakra causing me to feel a bit dizzy and also funny, probably this was how people felt when they were high, and honestly is not a good feeling is really annoying if not uncomfortable as hell.

Hiruzen however just walked back to his chair and took seat giving a long sigh.

"I wanted to be sure that you weren't under any genjutsu."

What?

"What?" Seriously how did he believed that I would be victim of a genjutsu? That was too farfetched to be a possibility… maybe not, but still to believe that I was under one why did he had that conclusion?

It was because of my attitude at the genin exams?

Very probable.

"And I am glad but also worried that you weren't affected by a genjutsu." His posture became serious again not like before but still serious, one that couldn't be fooled.

I simply scratched my head in genuine confusion. "I don't follow."

"Kichiro I will be blunt." I didn't like the tone of that, and my gut feeling never once betrayed me if I didn't like the sound of something then it would only mean one thing; trouble.

The hokage was staring directly at my eyes trying to pierce my mental defenses which he probably had already succeeded in doing so.

"Why did you failed the genin exams on purpose?" My blood ran cold, I thought that I did a very good job in hiding it seemed that Kakashi really knew how to see underneath the underneath. "Especially the bell test after I told you and Naruto the tale of how the three legendaries Sannin were formed."

That was true, if somebody already the answer and when the same question is asked and you fail then it could only mean that the person did it on purpose. I shouldn't have asked about it in the first place and probably I wouldn't have the conversation with him.

I needed to be calm and serious if I survived Danzo and got a victory from him then Hiruzen wouldn't be a problem at all.

"I had my reasons." I got comfortable on my seat because it was going to be a long talk.

"Kichiro don't give that answer." He frowned.

I wasn't going to lie him, I never told him a lie before and I wasn't going to start right there, but obviously I was going to keep thing for myself. But that was also in question since what Danzo told me about him made me doubt about his attitude, but trusting Danzo was like trusting Orochimaru.

"I don't think you should know my reasons." I didn't want him to get involved but he was going to anyways but that fact didn't prevent me from trying to find my way around.

"Why?"

"You are not going to like the answer."

"Kichiro answer me, now." His authoritative tone clearly stated that he wasn't talking to me as Hiruzen but as the Sandaime Hokage.

It was a direct order and as a ninja I was obligated to obey because if not then it would be considered treason, I bit my lip trying to think on a way to escape the question but the moment I caught a glimpse of his gaze I surrendered myself.

"We are the unseen ones who support the great tree of Konoha from the depths of earth."

His eyes widened as he stared at me in shock quickly replaced with sorrow, but then I saw disappointment pure disappointment and I felt horrible for it.

"ROOT…"

"You are correct Hokage-sama." I confirmed his fears.

"You were right, I don't like your answer." He covered his whole face with his right hand, an action that told me how bad was the situation, he didn't want to see my face anymore. And from there a spark of fear ignite spreading the worry of what he might do after the discovery, would he prohibited me from seeing Naruto? Or he would cut all ties with me? Either way I wasn't going to like his answer at all.

"I am sorry." I didn't know why I apologized but I felt like I needed to apologize because it felt right.

However he held his hand up, telling me stop right there and to do not continue anymore.

"No, don't apologize. Maybe I should have foreseen this the moment you lost your family like I did with all the orphaned children." But not all the orphans are recruited so why he should have foreseen that? It didn't make any sense.

"So tell me Kichiro what did Danzo told you that convinced you to join our infamous black ops Anbu." It was to hear him say that, to believe that I was lied and convinced to join them with false promises and stupid ambitions.

"Nothing." I wasn't a liar. "I joined them from my own free will."

His eyes widened even more than before, silence enveloped both of us and his mouth was spelling many words but at the end only one question came out from the silence.

"Kichiro, what have you done?" I knew what I did and I did it because it was necessary, or well at least I believe to knew what I did. "Root is not, I repeat, is not what you think it is."

Maybe he was right , after all all the information was very vague about them.

"You will be thrown at the fire and only if you survive your worst nightmare begins." I didn't like the sound of that, I knew that they training was going to be brutal and inhuman but with good results but the way he told me that just didn't feel right.

"How do you know?" I wasn't annoyed, instead I was curios to hear his answer and say in the matter.

"We may don't get involved in each other's business but we know enough of each other." That was true.

"Root was created for the purpose to protect Konoha through the shadows and produce shinobis as fast as possible, Tobirama-sensei explained me why he created Root and its purpose but he never wanted me to get involved so that's why he chose Danzo." I already knew that so why state the obvious?

"I understand but…"

He interrupted me but not by talking but by hitting his desk as his eyes pierced my mental defenses.

"But nothing Kichiro, you don't know how much it pains me the high possibility that you will die down there."

"What?"

"Root program has a high mortality rate and sometimes some of them end up with irreparable mental traumas."

I frowned at that. "If it is so despicable why do you have them active?" Seriously if you hate them why keep them around?

"Because they are necessary, they will do what I or any of us can't do. Tell me Kichiro would you be able to spread a terminal illness on a village filled with innocent people just to get them to surrender under favorable terms for Konoha?" My eyes widened at that, I was thinking about it the moment I stepped in; that would do very horrible things just for the betterment of Konoha because it was a necessary sacrifice but never once put more thought into it by doing that I would give up my humanity, and I was scared.

"I joined because I want to protect Naruto." I quickly blurted out trying to change the subject, it was beginning to feel too heavy for me to handle.

"You could have done it here, we could have helped you."

My answer was immediately shot down with his own truth, I could have used the normal route like very normal person but I chose the shortcut because it was going to benefit me in the future.

"I know but it would have taken time, and if something were to happen to her and I wasn't able to do something because I wasn't strong enough I would never forgive myself." I cared too much for Naruto to let any harm fall upon her, I would rather die that allow it.

"Kichiro, What should I tell Naruto if you die?" I felt my heart stop at that very moment, if I was drinking I would have spilled everything. However I recomposed myself from the shock and replied him.

"I will not die, I promised her that I will never leave her."

I saw him frown.

"By joining Root you are leaving her, it will break her heart."

It was true…

I was being very hypocritical person.

"It will be only for while." I was totally aware of Naruto situation and I still didn't find the correct words to tell her that I was going to leave her for a while but she was a tough girl and I knew she would handle it.

However fate had other things in mind, and those things were inside of a file which the hokage threw at me. "Read this Kichiro."

"What is this?" I grabbed it and eyed it curiously, in search of any clue of what it had inside.

His face softened as his gaze fell down as if he was regretting something which I wasn't aware but I should have been aware to begin with. "I am sorry to say but I lied about the psychologist that you requested, I had them to secretly evaluate her and give me a full report."

 _WHAT?!_

No no nonon **onononoono…**.

Without missing a beat I ripped the file apart wanting to read the report about Naruto condition, I always wanted a professional to do a correct diagnostic and tell e exactly what she had so I could help her.

My eyes fell on the words.

And my heart shattered.

 **Unastable.**

 **Fragile.**

Cannot be left **alone**.

 **Dependent.**

I couldn't handle it anymore, it was bulshit a pure load of bullshit!

"FUCK THIS!"

The paper didn't deserve to be destroyed by my fit of anger but I couldn't care less about an insignificant piece of paper which probably there were copies on an archiver.

"Kichiro…" FUCK YOU OLD MAN, FUCK YOU!

"Don't Kichiro me! Since when?!" I couldn't believe it, I didn't want to believe it. I felt betrayed at first and I was pissed, angry mad any negative emotion I could direct to him for hiding this from me the very thing that I need to know.

"A month." WHAT?! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?! TO NARUTO?! I TRUSTED YOU DAMMIT, I FUCKING TRUSTED YOU!

"Why didn't you tell me before?!"

"Calm down."

I can't I really can't he doesn't understand how I am feeling right now, this ruined everything. This destroyed everything that I had been working on, and…

And this was going to destroy Naruto, it was going to hurt her. And I was the sole responsible.

"How can I calm down?! If I knew of this I wouldn't have acted I wouldn't have joined Root in the first place!" I said it before, for her I would forget everything. "I was leaving because I thought that she was going to be fine!"

Her condition was very fragile I already knew that but never expected to be that bad to be in such state that anything would have dire consequences on her and her mental condition. "She needs me!"

I didn't know what to do anymore, or what to do in a future. I was about to something unforgivable to her and I couldn't stop it I was on the final countdown. "This is my fault..."

I wasn't a liar.

She could even die from the stress that would feel the entire time, and without somebody to be there for her she could even fell in the bad habits just in hope to feel special, she would be broken beyond repair.

"Kichiro I was going to tell you after you passed the genin exams, we were going to work a solution but you are right I should have told you since the beginning." I didn't know about him anymore, was he silently crying? Was he in a lot of pain? More than me?

"I can't leave but it is already done and I will be gone tomorrow and...and…" Something there should have been something to do at last minute after all hope is the last thing to lose.

It wasn't supposed to rain that day

"Please help me."

I pleaded, no I begged to him. He was old, he was the hokage of one of the most powerful village of the elemental nations he must know an answer a solution!

"I cannot do nothing now Kichiro and I'm deeply sorry." My heart broke again, I wanted to succumb to my emotions I wanted to do so many things yet it would change anything at all; they would only turn things for the worse and my situation was worse enough.

"Why?! You are the Hokage your word is law!"

"The moment you joined Root you are under Danzo's jurisdiction." My face fell on my hands I couldn't hold anything back anymore, I cried. I screamed I tried to yell my guilt to the world to hear but knowing that it wouldn't change a thing it made me feel even worse.

But his hand was on my shoulder giving me comfort, the so much needed shoulder to cry which I didn't hesitate to take and throw everything at it until there was nothing more to give.

"Please promise me that you will protect her while I'm gone." I could trust him with that, I knew he could. His arms holding me there made me feel safe as if nothing wrong was happening yet I knew better it was only a temporary sanctuary.

"I will Kichiro, don't worry." His soft voice reassured me.

"And make sure that she eats all her vegetables, do her homework, brush her teeth and go to sleep at 9." It was my job but now it was his job, I only regretted that I wouldn't be able to see her unique smile. "And the most important don't let her eat too many sweets." That was also very important because she was going to become the most powerful ninja that the world had ever seen.

His arms tightened around me but I didn't felt constricted, I felt better, safe, at his show of affection.

"Everything will be fine." Everybody always says that when things are grim and it didn't matter that he was the one to tell me that because there were things which I couldn't believe anymore.

"I don't know anymore."

"Yes you know, no matter what don't let your Will of Fire succumb don't let it die because as long as there is a spark you will never fail." With that said I felt a faint smile crawl back to my lips, he might never saw my face but I knew that he was aware that he returned my smile.

"Thank you...Jiji."

* * *

I couldn't tell how much time passed since I arrived but just stood there right at the entrance. I was there staring at the doorknob doing nothing but stare. I knew that I wasn't going to like my conversation with Hiruzen but never expected to discover that and realize the gravity of the situation, I knew about the problem but never expected to be in that scale, once again I was careless in my actions.

Because…

Reasons I guess.

"Onii-chan you are back!" Her sweet voice filled with life broke me from my personal moment of silent grief, she opened the door for me and I mentally thanked her because I didn't know how much time I would have spent there just staring wasting my time, the time in general.

"Hey imouto-chan." I couldn't hide my tone not even a smile could help to salvage my situation, Naruto noticed it I could tell just by looking at her eyes but she didn't comment perhaps she was just respecting my privacy or she was about to ask me and I was too quick to assume things.

It was the latter.

"Are you okay?" She wasn't wearing her smile anymore, and her eyes didn't have any glee she was concerned and looking at that face hit me hard, very hard.

"I...Naruto take a seat we need to talk." I didn't want to sound pathetic but probably I was looking very pathetic at the moment, I just couldn't understand how I could be like that after so many years; I just couldn't understand myself anymore. Maybe I had a revelation?

Probably I just realized that I was an idiot.

Either way it wouldn't change my situation.

"So what happened?" Both of us took seat at the living room on the large sofa enough to have 4 persons comfortable enough. From there at hearing the awaited question a knot formed in my throat preventing me to utter a word, I couldn't even look at her. It was horrible.

My mouth opened and closed, over and over again and sometimes only a guttural sound came from it. Naruto was becoming more worried every passing second and I couldn't let that happen anymore it wasn't fair for her; better said nothing of what was about to happen was fair at all.

"Naruto I...I…" Those words were so hard to even pronounce.

My strength returned the moment she shared a hug with me holding me very tight, I was enveloped in a warm and comforting aura. It was everything that I needed for the moment so I returned it.

"Yes?" Her head was resting on the right side of my chest, but her voice wasn't a cheery one the one which I always heard every morning and will never get tired of.

So I began.

"Naruto do you remember about my potential sensei?"

"Yeah."

I hugged her tighter obviously not using that much strength that could cause her any harm, after all I was going to hurt her far worse and for that I felt like shit, worse than shit. I should have assumed the worst, for her I would have changed everything but the past cannot be undone no matter what one tries.

"I was accepted."

"That's great!" Her joy returned and I could tell thanks to the grin as her shining blue eyes connected with my gaze yet it was short lived when she noticed how down I looked, I didn't know if I had been shedding tears or I was on the verge of it.

"And well I...I was chosen to join a special program that will make really strong very fast." It was the truth or half of it, and it felt like I was blatantly lying to her.

"Even better Onii-chan!" Why did she had to smile?

"I know right?" Because it would only make me smile too, it was just so contagious. But would she be able to keep that smile? a true smile that I worked so hard to get from her?

And I was to rip it away from her like a bastard.

"So why do you look so down?" I guess it didn't last, and that was my fault. Everything was my fault, maybe I should have acted before and nothing would have happened and I would be dealing with the mess I created.

The knot returned to my throat but it wasn't the only knot formed on me, one right at my heart appeared, it reminded me the pain which I felt the moment I lost my family. The same pain which you only want to get rid of it because is too much to bear.

"Naruto is that...that…" I couldn't cry, I didn't want to cry; not anymore.

Dammit...

"Onii-chan please tell me." I was so glad that she wasn't looking at my face at that exact moment, but it was hiding the truth and doing that would only have terrible consequences on the future either a close or far one.

My face felt so heavy and my eyes were there fighting with all its might while I just gave up, and allowed myself to speak and after the cursed words.

"Naruto…" Come on say just say it! "I have to leave for an unknown amount of time." There!

I said it!

The moment those words left my mouth I felt a big weight was lifted from my being yet a dark cloud quickly was over me, my mouth burned just as my eyes. I gritted my teeth as I closed my eyes trying to hold everything back and thanks to that I holded back a sob.

"..." No answer and that worried me a lot, better said it scared me.

"Na-Naruto?" I stuttered out, never once I stuttered not even against Danzo, the monster who lives under the tree.

Yet she did the unamiganable.

She laughed.

It was a very horrible laughter that I thought I would never hear and didn't want to hear ever again, it broke me. It teared my heart to her that laughter especially from her, a broken person.

"Hah! That was a good one!" No please no, not that. Everything but that…

Denial, the worst possible way to deal with the harsh reality. Naruto always was very fragile and I feared that my answer broke her so she was poorly trying to fix herself; the worst of all is that I was unable to help her.

"Naruto please..." From there I finally gave in to my feelings, it started to rain.

And for her the storm was forming dangerously quick and it would have a devastating effect, on both of us.

"You almost got me! I mean how could I believe _that_ for a second? After all you promised that you will **never** leave me." Yes I did and maybe I shouldn't have, I just cared about me and my personal goals but totally neglected the root of your problems, who thought that I would get so attached to you just as you get too attached to me?

That's funny.

I just noticed that Mr. Piggy Mccool is right there.

"Naruto…" I couldn't look at her anymore and my arms stopped holding her, they fell lifelessly on the sofa, however she didn't mind or better said she couldn't care less about that fact. Because her face was directly in front of mine forcing me to look directly at her eyes.

Her now teary eyes that matched mine in pain, or probably surpassed mine.

" _ **RIGHT?!**_ " She wasn't speaking anymore, she outright yelled in denial, in despair, in a very thin line of hope that soon would be broken and fall to the pit of despair.

My eyes looked everywhere but hers.

That was my honest answer.

" **YOU PROMISED!** " She yelled right at my face with a face drenched in tears of betrayal, what I feared began to happen, a very violent retaliation.

A direct hit on my nose, I shouldn't have dodged it because I deserved it and even more but the nose is a critical point that might cause death. She got my right cheek but she wasn't satisfied with that.

" **YOU FUCKING PROMISED!** "

Another one came and this time was a clean hit which drew blood from me, and it hurt it really hurt but nothing compared to the pain I was currently in. Then she didn't stop, she wanted to make feel what she was feeling so I could somehow understand how she felt; I clearly did but she would never know or understand. And in her state she was never going to listen at anything that I would say to try to salvage the situation.

" **I TRUSTED YOU!** "

She stopped and fell on her knees. With fist clenched she began to hit the floor causing loud cracks with every hit which I couldn't differentiate from a crack of the floor or her bones. Her broken sobs accompanied my own which escaped through my gritted teeth.

" **WHY?!** "

It wasn't a question to me but at everything in general, an open question to show how unfair life was at her and how angry was at the world for doing that to her.

From her position she violently proceeded to destroy all my work which I did on her hair, she was trying to get rid of everything that bound us together. I tried to reach her so somehow I could calm her down but it was a mistake a terrible one because the moment it got within her field of vision she immediately lunged at me with bare teeth and bite me with enough force that I was able to hear her teeth collide with my bones, it was instantaneous; it happened so fast that I didn't feel any pain.

But when it came I didn't scream.

Because I tolerated the pain.

" **WHY?!** " She spat my blood and I became scared when I saw that her eyes lost her natural blue color and be replaced with the demonic red ones.

I needed to stop her.

However that only caused to have another injured hand and a small part of my hand gone, moving a finger hurt a lot.

This time I allowed myself to scream.

" **TELL ME!** " I didn't have anything to tell her, I told her everything that needed to be told and trying to explain wasn't going to help when she was in that state. And as expected she took that in the worst possible way.

" **I HATE YOU!** " And like that she ran away, leaving me behind bleeding on the floor.

This were the consequences of my actions.

* * *

 _AN: All the sentimental stuff about this chapter will be told in the next AN, in other words the next chapter._


	12. Chapter 13: That's a promise

**Disclaimer: Naruto wouldn't have tried to copy DragonBall Z attacks in the final arc If I would have been the owner of Naruto, but sadly Kishimoto is the owner and gave the green lights to that.**

* * *

 **NOTE: For this chapter is better to play ''** **One Punch Man Emotional Soundtrack Cover Arranged by Jackon-TC Sad theme'', yeah just copy and paste that title because is the best out there from the many.**

* * *

' _Hey why aren't you going back?'_

They said I was lucky, that if she would have gone a few centimeters more she would have reached an important vein or artery that formed part of the entire circulatory system and would have complicated things a lot which would have involved me to go to the hospital as soon as possible, they even told me to go to the hospital to patch my hands especially the one which had a missing chunk but I denied it.

' _Is okay, my name is Naruto Uzumaki.'_

I only cared to be done with it and leave as soon as possible after all it was a flesh wound and thanks to Tsunade's research many years ago they were able regenerate that part, but the process would take months and a lot of proteins. That hand became useless for the time being, even the minimal twitch caused me pain, but the other hand was easily healed with the Mystical Palm, like there was no wound in the first place. It was the same case with my face, all bruises were gone however the spot still remained sore.

But I couldn't care less about that.

The moment I wasn't in danger to die by bleedout I left, I ran as fast as I could muster with my legs, because Naruto was out there deeply hurt crying somewhere or worse. Normally a situation like that could be solved without much of a problem but with Naruto was different, different because was a Jinchuuriki and as one her feelñings mattered a lot and thanks to me the Kyuubi chakra leaked from the seal.

I was worried sick about her, I feared that the Bijuu would try to take advantage of her poor state and witnessing her red eyes that looked directly to my eyes scared me.

I hated myself, why?

' _Please don't leave me.'_

Because it was my fault.

' _I will not go anywhere that's a promise.'_

I was perfectly aware of her condition but never thought or put much thought into it or ways to help her to deal with. I simply stood by her side like nothing was wrong and let her to live her life ignorant to the truth. I should have confronted her about it; obviously she would have reacted badly if not violent but in much less scale.

' _Thanks Onii-chan.'_

But at the end I did nothing of that.

At much later date I decided to do something about it and try to get and specialist in the matter. and I never got one but at the same time I got all of them. They had been analysing her and evaluating her for months only to be notified about that at the very last moment when everything was already done and my plans had already been set into motion, I couldn't stop if I wanted.

I wanted to blame Hiruzen so bad because he never told me, it was his fault and I was correct or at least partially but there was only a truth; I was the only one to blame.

I was careless with her and it was my only regret.

Who knew that I could care so much for somebody?

I perfectly knew because I cared for my family, and it destroyed me when they had to leave me so abruptly. That experience told me that I shouldn't get too attached because everybody was a mere piece of a chessboard, one had more value than others. Pawns are to be sacrificed, you don't care at all for them or you pretend just for a small advantage.

That what she used to be, when I saw her.

A mere pawn which I needed to crown.

But then as the time passed she became a knight, I valued her more but still I saw her as a mean to my goals.

When I moved with her she became a rook, a very important piece to the game that cannot be taken lightly.

Her first birthday came and became a queen, the most important piece in the whole board which you don't want to use until the end because is not expendable.

And then it happened.

She became more than a mere piece of my game.

She was Naruto Uzumaki my imouto, the one which I never had.

I should have known better.

I was facing the consequences of my negligence, one should never take lightly a problem even if it looks easy to solve because it could backfire or there was far more from what you expected.

"Get up Kichiro."

At first I was confused to hear another voice above me, but what I never took into account was the fact that I was laying on ground; I couldn't recall at the moment of how I ended up there but my best guess was that I exhausted myself in my search for Naruto without any kind of lead, it was stupid from my part but I didn't care at the moment and I couldn't remain sit and do nothing.

"What?" However chakra exhaustion was something that couldn't be taken lightly at all, many shinobi died from that but in my case it wasn't that dangerous, I was simply tired for all the running and my body forced me to take a rest without me noticing or approving.

"Get up." His voice didn't have any hint of authoritative tone, it was his commonly known tone which he always used with us and surrounded us with a calm aura.

"Hokage-sama?" At first it was hard to get up but nothing but determination and purity of will helped to complete the job, yet that left me gasping for air in dire need to stop and take a rest. Thankfully Hiruzen handed me a soldier pill which I hadn't thought twice in take; perhaps was a temporary solution and maybe a less effective one but at desperate times, desperate measures were required.

"Naruto is at the Hokage Rock." His hand showed me direction which I needed to follow, finally I had a lead and that brought relief for only a moment. My eyes widened at recalling that Kyuubi might try to influence her.

"I made many preparations beforehand, don't keep her waiting." He warmly smiled at me, a smile that ceased all my worries in an instant. My only job was to go to the Hokage Rock and talk with her and correct everything.

"Thanks." And like that I used the newly acquired chakra to increase my movements so I could arrive as soon as possible and give her the shoulder which she so much needed.

With a proper lead I arrived in matter of minutes.

I was at the top but there was no signal of Naruto; my hand passed through my hair trying to take away any kind of worry from me, Hiruzen wouldn't dare to lie for such an important thing but the doubt always lingered around no matter how trusty is the person.

With the sun setting over the horizon also didn't make it easy for me to do not worry, but at least the view from up there was very beautiful, the entire village could be seen and the green forest that had been protecting it since its foundation.

But by appreciating the sight of the village my eyes caught her form.

She was right over the head of the Hiruzen Sarutobi, with her knees hugging them tightly. I couldn't get a better picture since I had a considerable distance from her but the way she was there her head buried told me enough.

I didn't know what to say, I didn't prepare an speech or something of the sorts but I couldn't care less at the moment, just knowing that I finally found her and she wasn't in any kind of danger was enough for me, I could think everything as the time passed.

I was the first to speak and get her attention.

"Hey…" And then I stopped, I didn't know why I stopped from speaking further but I just did. It was like something prevented me to utter a single word and formed a tight knot around my throat just as a safe measure.

However she didn't turn to greet me, she remained exactly the same.

I was told how she was claimed as a hero of the village for containing the Bijuu and keeping it at bay. Every birthday a festival is held but she never once assisted to them, because the truth was another. Her reward as a hero, how they call her, was the loneliness. They praise her one day and the other totally ignore her as if she never existed or didn't want to get near because she was too fragile to even bother.

"Oh...hey…" And her tone of voice sounded recently fixed, it was a forced calm tone; the reasons was that she was holding her emotions at the moment I didn't understand why but I would understand later.

"So...what a nice view here right?"It was awkward to talk again, after what happened between us talking seemed so difficult. However I didn't know how it would be for Naruto and how terrible she was feeling.

"Yeah it is…" Again she replied from her position with the same tone.

"You come here often?" I inquired further trying to break her from that and somehow get a better start to help her and plead for forgiveness, but that last part was up to her and only her.

"Yeah…" The same answer, but I wasn't going to accept that anymore she needed help and I was determined to help her.

"Do you mind?" A simple question which had far better results, she turned to look at me and I noticed how red her eyes were not the pupils but the eyes in general, it was the product of constant crying.

"No, go ahead."

With her approval I made my way and sat next to her, it was a beautiful sight to behold what was below us, and considered from the place I used to be, being right over the head of the Hokage created a much better view. A small ray of sun touched her form thing that I didn't expect to happen, because of how surreal it was but probably fate had something better stored for both of us

"Aren't you scared that you can fall?"

She shook her head.

"Nope, this place is safe."

 _Then why are you scared?_

"Oh, I see…"

My gaze returned to the twilight of the day, I was out of ideas to start a conversation and honestly I wasn't sure why I wasn't on my knees begging for her forgiveness. I should have but something nagged on my head that told me to wait or to do act so quickly and that I should have more patience.

But then everything was broken when my ears caught the distinctive sound of pain and sorrow, the sound when one just can't hold anymore that had been strong enough to endure such a thing.

"Naruto?" I turned and saw er form uncontrollably shaking as her hands clenched into fists, my instincts immediately told me to go and hug her so she could cry in a comfortable and safe place but again I wasn't sure If I should because I was worried that she would react badly again, my hand was witness of that outcome.

It was a stupid worry which should have been there in the first place.

"I'm sorry." She spoke to me with a very fragile tone, I didn't want to interrupt her but it pained me that she was blaming herself for something that was entirely my fault, I should be the one apologizing not her.

I remembered the days of years ago, how she always sneaked her way to my bed so she could sleep with me, for the fear of be wake up alone and that everything was a dream, she didn't want to wake up and discover that it was a dream, me neither.

"Naruto…" I guess that the rain cannot leave us in peace for a moment, it had always been there pestering us destroying our supposed sunny day which should have been spent outside.

I loved our time at the park playing ninja, with her being the ninja while I was the evil rogue-nin, she always was the winner.

"I didn't want to hurt you... I just don't know what happened...I...I just don't...know..." Her voice was failing her, because she was nearing her limit and soon she would break just like before however there was a difference and that was I was there to help her to pick up the pieces.

"Come here." Every stupid and illogical worry banished the moment I pulled her close to me allowing her head rest on my shoulder which quickly found it way to my chest where she finally let everything out.

However I didn't stay idle, with my functional hand I caressed her hair and her back giving as much comfort I could because she needed every little thing that could help her. Even after the rough treatment that he had received it still preserved it form and didn't tangled itself, straight and silky just as I left it in the morning.

I was proud of my work with her hair, to turn something messy into a work of art that should be put on a museum, it was one of our moments together where no words were necessary just the two of us been there was enough.

I just let it go.

I had patience and we had all the time in the world to spend.

My own tears never fell because I was strong, strong for her sake. But it was difficult because her pain was far more than mine and it tried to drag me down but for her I hold my position and remained strong.

"I never felt so angry before but then...then…" She hugged me tighter and I did the same. "I'm so sorry."

I rested my chin on her head.

The safe aura was what I wanted so she could stop.

"Is okay, nothing happened" I told her but at the same time it was a lie but at the same time it wasn't because for me she did nothing wrong, she was clean. She never did anything wrong, even her pranks cannot count because that was what make her be who she was.

However for her case the guilt was always present pestering her as long as she can't forgive herself, and her status of the Kyubi worsened her opinion to even consider that she was the reincarnation despite the long lectures about the topic.

"I hurt you." That was her reply. But she didn't understand that I also hurt her, even more, I hurt her far worse that she did because a flesh wound is that just something physical that fades in time. She shouldn't have the weight of guilt on her shoulders, I wanted to be in her place so she could smile in true happiness again.

"Nothing that time cannot cure." She was in my arms drenching my shirt with her tears that didn't seem to stop but at least she could speak, I didn't care if I were to catch a cold for that because she was far more important than anything.

"It doesn't change what I did." She was right and it pained me to hear the truth specially from her, but there was something that I had been telling myself since the beginning; something that had been helping me to deal with the grief and sorrow.

"The past is in the past and must remain buried." Because when you overcome that, you will be stronger than before and ready to face the world with a better perspective which will help you in the road of life and grew as a better person.

She can overcame many hardships because I believe in her just as MInato and Kushina believed in her in the day of her birth.

"Please don't hate me." I heard her say in muffled tone thanks that she was buried in my chest but at hearing that sent a stake to my heart. It was very sad to see that she was assuming the worst rather than trying to see the bright side of everything.

"I will never hate you, Naruto." I kissed her head as my ars softened our embrace so she look up again rather than keep her down. Because the first step is to lift up your gaze and face the reality.

"Why?" However she didn't bulge, she increased the pressure so she could be closer to me. I couldn't blame her at all, she was scared and it was a normal reaction because all of us were humans after all.

"Is natural for a person to do mistakes in their lives and honestly you shouldn't blame yourself because this was my fault." I spoke the genuine truth, I let her know that it was my fault but I didn't apologize yet, reasons unknown to me because I simply didn't know.

Naruto broke away from me in an instant and without her I felt alone utterly alone and cold. It was horrible even if she was next to me having her arms around me brought me joy and a warm feeling that made me forget everything and just focus on the present.

"No is not!" I wanted to smile but I couldn't, I didn't know why but probably because she finally lifted her gaze and gathered the enough strength to face life once again.

"Why?" I asked.

"You did anything wrong!" She reassured me having a firm look on her face, her tears were fresh but no more were falling from the corner of her eyes. Yet I was saddened by the fact that she couldn't bring herself to forgive her own actions which were totally justified unlike mine.

"No Naruto is my fault by leaving, I should have told you first before accepting." I ruffled her long hair as I always did.

However she shook her head not accepting my words as true. "No, you once told me that life as a ninja require to make sacrifices." And she was correct, everything require a sacrifice either small or big. I didn't want to think about it but I knew that the time I would spend training under Danzo's watch weren't going to be happy at all and adding that I wouldn't be able to see her for who knows how much time pained me.

"You are one smart girl, aren't you?" I smiled, a very simple but sweet smile.

"And Jiji told me that you were going to leave sooner or later anyways, one can't always stay in one place training if they want to become strong." She confirmed that Hiruzen had already talked with her before me and I was glad that he did because he helped her a lot and probably did things which I couldn't have done, I was forever grateful with him.

"Sadly he has a point." I kept my smile but it saddened because nobody said that the truth must be pretty.

The reaction was instantly and there was nothing I could or should do to prevent it, she closed her eyes and I saw how hard she was trying to fight back her pain; but I promised that I wouldn't allow her to bottle up emotions. It was normal to feel sad after all.

I opened my arms in signal that I was waiting for her to come again, I offered a place where she can be safe.

She took it without hesitation.

"But I don't want you to leave." The warm feeling returned, and I felt whole once again. I didn't want that moment to stop; just me and her was everything I needed.

It was okay, after all who really want to lose something very important even if is only temporary?

"Naruto I will never leave you, this is just...a training trip that's all." Then I kissed her forehead. "Besides when your times comes you will also have to leave the village in order to become strong."

Those would be very sad 3 years since I wouldn't have somebody to cook or to look after, and then be rewarded with a smile, but that's for the future a very distant one.

"I don't want to leave anyone behind." Nobody wants but we must do it in order to grew as a person, life is unfair that's true and it always will be trying to make us fail but we cannot give up so easily because all of us have dreams and hopes which we want to see become reality.

"You aren't leaving anyone because they will be always here." I pointed at her heart. "Besides I know that any of us don't want to get stronger just for the sake of power but because we want to protect our precious people." Then I made an imaginary cross on her heart.

"I don't want to be alone." She rested her head on my shoulder, however I grabbed her shoulder and put her in front me, staring directly at her blue eyes. I wanted to show her how serious I was.

"You aren't alone, you have Hokage-sama, Enma, Konohamaru, Asuma-san and your friends from the academy." I firmly said, nobody is truly alone. Because there is always a friend out there.

"But…" Her gaze dropped, there was no need for words to understand what she was about to say.

"But they aren't the same aren't they?" I pulled her close again, letting her rest as much as she wanted.

"How.."

"How did I know?" I finished for her, she probably thought that somehow I acquired the ability to read mind which was very funny thought.

I felt her nod or try to nod, couldn't tell from y position; I was just watching the horizon as I spoke.

"Well I simply do." I shrugged.

"That's a pretty bad answer."She snorted and knowing that the dark cloud was slowly leaving us was enough for me to smile again.

"I know but it is an answer nevertheless." I replied with the same amusement as her.

"A bad one." She deadpanned dryly, it couldn't be helped I guess.

"Touche."

Then we just remained there.

We just wanted to be there next to each other without saying a word because we didn't feel like it was necessary to say something, together we kept watching how the light of the day and the sun were finally leaving us so the night could take its respective place. We should leave and go to our home but I didn't want to, I just wanted to stay with her, and I knew that she had the same idea as me.

"Can you tell me about your family?"

' _Can you tell me a story?'_

"Naruto…"

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked."

"No is not that, is just…" I wasn't exactly sure what to say at first but then I found the answer. "Is just that I never talked about it since that day." I felt how the hidden pain resurfacing, trying to make itself present trying to reach me and cause me to tear apart like it happened many years ago; but I learned and I was a new person.

"I see…"

"But don't worry I will tell you."

Naruto immediately got into her very well known stance, with her expectant eyes of how eager she was to hear my story. I wished that I had a mantle with me.

"My tou-san was Daisuke Hasegawa, a civilian from Kusa who managed to escape from Iwa's invasion He was a great father, probably the best in the world, always there for me and more. I can't find anything wrong with him to be honest, and I loved his cooking skills and how he did his magic to leave everything shining clean." His gentle smile was one which I would never forget, it always made me smile as well. Even that very moment he made me smile.

' _You must be hungry Kichiro-chan, but don't worry because your tou-san is here!'_

I should have counted the Naruto's factor though.

"He sounds like a housewife." I guess I should have openly laughed because how true that was but I simply chuckled, not the same but still with the same effect.

"Well he was, but I don't know how is called when is the other way around." I added, maybe is called househusbando? Does that word even exist?

"And your Kaa-san?" I didn't forget about her you silly, I was leaving the best for the final you know?

"Her name was Kaori, no surname. From what I was told she was disowned from the family and cut all communications, for them she was practically dead." It was obvious that I didn't exist for them and if they knew of my existence then I was considered an unwanted bastard.

"That's cruel!" Telling that ruined the mood, I was supposed to remember the good things not the bad things.

"Yes, but it didn't matter because she continued her life as a kunoichi, she joined Anbu and fought in the Third Shinobi World War then she retired for a far more calm life with me and my father, she became a teacher at the academy. I loved our time when we played ninja and when she took me to the park or to walk around." And I will never forget those moment because those are very precious to me to even dare to try to forget, it would mean that I would give up my moments of happiness which I hold when my life was miserable; sometimes remembering the happiness that you used to have can be a beautiful thing just as a curse.

' _My Kichiro-chan is so smart! I bet that you will become the best at the academy!'_

"Do you think they would have liked me?" A very innocent question from her part, she always wanted a family to call her own, I was her family just as Hiruzen but as much as it pained me it wasn't the same to have both parents and receive that unconditional love; I experienced it while she never did, it wasn't fair but probably one day on a distant future she would give that unconditional love.

"They would have loved you, that's for sure." I patted her head as I wore a very big smile. "Perhaps I lost them forever and left a very big hole right here…" My hand went to my heart as I felt the urge to clench it into a fist when I remembered the pain of lose somebody very precious to you.

" _Please Kichiro don't cry... your Kaa-chan is going to be fine…."_

"I spent 6 years of my life in misery, I didn't smile or laugh I was just there drowned in my own sorrow." My years inside the orphanage and the first three years at the academy had nothing worth remembering…

' _Hey, why aren't you going back?'_

"But then I found you." At least until the day I got to met her. "You saved me, for me you are the greatest of heroes." Because one of the many things I learned about life and what is a family is that whenever someone is thinking of you, that place is home.

Maybe…

Just maybe…

I was strong enough.

"I am going to miss you." What she said touched my heart, the emotional weight was placed upon me; it was the signal that I still needed to be strong just because she needed me and I wasn't somebody to to disappoint.

"Yeah, me too."

"I don't know what I am going to do next." I had a few ideas what to do next but without you next to me wouldn't feel the same, after all you rewarded my hard work very handsomely.

"You can always aim to become the best of your generation and graduate." Actually that gives me an idea, a very good one mind you.

"But…" Sorry for interrupt you but I needed to speak first.

"You know what? Let's make a promise." After a long time remaining in the same position I broke the cycle and stood up with my chest filled with pride and determination, my eyes never leaving the darkened starry sky, a place which made you wonder what was out there.

"I promise you that I will come back at the day of your graduation to congratulate you and you promise me that will make it to the top." I didn't need to turn back to tell that Naruto also stood up and went to my side.

"Okay, is a promise."

"Remember Naruto, I never go back on my word because…" I turned as I left the sentence unfinished on purpose because I knew and I taught her well.

"Because that's my nindo, my ninja way." She never disappoints.

"Good girl." I wished that I had a lollipop or a candy to reward her but you can't have everything it seems.

Then the two of us stood there watching the starry sky hoping for the appearance of a shooting star, it was necessary for the moment.

It saddened both of us that it never came, but our hope never died because one day; perhaps not tomorrow or the following day, but definitely one day that shooting star will pass and we will be there to watch it pass.

"Is getting pretty late we should get back." I made my way back so we could leave the head of the hokage in peace, however I stopped and extended my hand to her just like I did the first time we met.

She took it but didn't move at all.

"I'm scared."

I couldn't lie, I was scared of the future just as much as she was. And the probabilities didn't help my situation.

"Me too." But watching her, it reminded me of my goals and the reason to fight and die.

"After all who knows what will you do without somebody to look after you? The house might get caught on fire!" Sorrow, pain and sadness were unnecessary, we had already overcome that obstacle and learned another important lesson of life, who knows what was awaiting for both of us in the future?

"Ugghhhh Onii-chan!" Her blush only caused me to give a hearty laugh, everything was returning back to normal; or at least as much normal that it was allowed because not everything remain exactly the same, that's an universal law.

"I need to look after you, imouto." Even if I wasn't there I would find a way to keep in touch, you are worth everything.

"I love you, Onii-chan"

I knew that I was strong but who knew that I was that strong, but she became my reason to be strong.

I just hope that she didn't notice my face, especially my eyes.

"I love you too."

* * *

 **AN: And bam roll credits! Lol joking is still too far soon to end though right here the FIRST ARC is over. Next arc is the next chapter but it will be a time skip because I don't like that much the training chapters where most of the time it explains 100 PUSHUPS, 100 squats, 100 sit ups and 10 kilometers run EVERY SINGLE DAY! (Only fans understand this reference) Unless the purpose of the chapter is not to explain the training but relationship development between master/student or friendship.**

 **Well now onto the story, well I tried to explain in the last chapter and probably didn't do well so I tried here too but maybe it wasn't that clear so here is to specify, Kichiro doesn't regret anything about his plans and wants to stop, he just regret that he failed in helping Naruto he totally neglected her condition and he regrets it, that's all. He still will be in Root, will manipulate people and more. But to write this chapter and the last one I had to rewatch One Punch Man scene with Mumen Rider and some Naruto very emotional scenes, and lets not forget the Pigeon scene from Battlefield 1 that made me feel like letting a few tears fall; it ws necessary to feel like that to let the words flow because in other way I didn't like it and found it very...lame for an emotional scene.**

 **Maybe is not perfect and make you feel all emotional but you know what they say practice makes perfect! But I'm satisfied with the outcome.**

 **PD: NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!**

 **Don't forget to leave a review or just add me to follow of fav list, they are the energy that keeps me going and write with even more passion so the chapter is ready as soon as possible for you to enjoy, because the traffic graph is just numbers after all.**

 **Ja ne!**


	13. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto... _*SIGHS*_... that's sad right?**

* * *

The sun was already gone, and the night was beginning to set in Konoha; many prefered to spend it inside their houses with their loved ones or just to relax and rest for the following day. But for others it was time to begin their own day.

However it was neither of those, because the night was also used to say farewells to those precious to you, many would prefer the day to say their farewells but other prefer the night because not many would be outside and saw them sharing that moment.

The night that Kichiro would leave for train in order to become strong, but it was a cover and a partial true, he was leaving for train and work with Root. Naruto was the only one who was unaware of that fact.

"I will become the best, dattebayo!" She was very sad but she didn't want to leave that impression to her Onii-chan when he was about to leave and it wouldn't look good to her image after all, so she had to hide that very well under the mask of happiness and her cheery self.

But it wasn't exactly an entirely fake mask because she was also happy for him and as her imouto she would support him just as he always supported her.

Kichiro from his part was wearing his calm and serene smile, the air was dense with new found out feelings which constantly tried to overwhelm him so his smiled could leave. But he wasn't going to lose that internal battle because if he failed then Naruto might be a little sad and he didn't want to leave her a little sad. However the weather was another thing altogether, he had to wear a brown coat to prevent the cold, while his imouto was with the sweater that she always resisted to wear every single time.

Watching her to wear it without any complains only brought a nostalgic feeling that shook his core, he didn't want to have an open reaction but he didn't prevent a small twitch on his lips.

"And I will be back for your graduation." He had all the intentions to ruffle her hair and turn her hair into a mess but instead he merely patted her head because he didn't want to ruin his work, it took him more than a hour to comb her hair and keep it straight and pretty, because for some unknown reason it was stubbornly refusing to stay down.

They didn't said their farewells yet but they wanted to it as soon as possible because not saying a word was eating them alive, however the words didn't want to leave their mouth it remained stuck right at the tip of their tongue; Hiruzen was amused at the situation and probably would have laughed for watching how both younglings had their mouth open and closing many times but he didn't. He understood and knew how difficult it was for both of them to even dare to pronounce that word.

However the agonizing silence was becoming too much to bear and he was about to step in, but Naruto was the first to act.

She ran in direction to Kichiro.

"Goodbye Onii-chan." And both arms found their way around Kichiro keeping him on a tight spot which he didn't want leave any time soon.

Kichiro never like goodbyes no matter the situation or circumstances, but why? Because they sounded like they would never see each other ever again as if it was the last time the would be together. He didn't want that even less to feel like that; and it was for sure that he wasn't going to allow Naruto to feel or think like that.

"This is not a goodbye...Is a...I see you later, okay?" However he returned the embrace in full, he wanted to play with her anything that she wanted but the time was up and sadly he couldn't stay more; also he could feel the presence of his guide behind.

Any of them wanted to break away, the moment the strength appeared it disappeared keeping the arms in place, but Kichiro brought himself to do the most difficult thing. Being separated created an emptiness in both of them.

"Okay." She eagerly nodded a smile returning to her features.

Kichiro without missing his smile turned to Hiruzen who was wearing his kage robes but without the long hat.

"Hokage-sama I hope you remember everything, right?" Hiruzen simply gave a warm knowingly smile, he couldn't blame him he was merely cautious that everything was in order before leaving.

"Don't worry Kichiro-kun, she is in good hands." The new suffix added to his name touched his heart in the good way, it filled with both joy and sadness. Joy to know that more people cared for him and sadness that he wasn't going to be there for a long time and enjoy what is called a family.

The more time he stayed there watching them, the more increased the weight that he was carrying. A burden that he wished he could get rid some day.

Without more words to say he waved his right hand and ran in direction where the Root agent was waiting, he didn't turn back; because if he did it then he would have hesitated even more and probably give up.

The Jinchuuriki and the Hokage stayed there watching how his silhouette completely disappeared in the darkness, but even if he wasn't on their line of sight they still remained there watching where he went. Naruto didn't stop waving her hand hoping that whenever he was, he could still see her and get her message again.

But they couldn't stay outside forever, it was time to move on.

"Come Naruto is time for dinner." He placed a hand on her shoulder getting her full attention, but he noticed how down she looked after stopping her, she wasn't going to cry but her face was filled with sadness and her eyes didn't hold the life or joy that he always saw in her.

"I already miss him Jiji." And she latched on him asking for comfort because she had already started to feel the emptiness that Kichiro left. Hiruzen returned her embrace but for Naruto it didn't feel the same but it still comforted her and felt her feel safe from any harm; it was enough and it was what she wanted for the moment.

Moments later they were inside for dinner, nothing more was said.

* * *

It was a very important day for the Jinchuuriki of the Nine tails, she was very excited and anybody who passed by; could see her excitement with a mere glance. After all she was practically jumping on the spot wearing the biggest grin ever.

She was exalting joy because she fulfilled her promise, she was the top of the academy, the top Kunoichi and the Rookie of the year. Normally the title is usually given to boys but Naruto beat the Uchiha and the Hokage mae the exception and gave her the two titles.

So she was waiting at the tree where they met for the first time not because it was accorded but because she felt attracted to that place; like it was calling for her and probably he would be attracted there the moment he arrived.

However she was alone and didn't mind that fact because it was a temporary moments of loneliness which she could endure, even more she told her friends to go without her because she was waiting for somebody special.

So just like that time passed.

Naruto didn't get tired but uncomfortable to remain standing for so much time, so she decided to lay down and watch the blue sky. A girl normal reaction would be to search for a seat and mind that her clothes wouldn't stain but Naruto didn't care for that at all; she wasn't a very girly one like the civilians but also her clothes weren't expensive and were made to sustain training sessions.

A black and blue jogging suit.

But she was only wearing half of it because the upper part was serving as a improvised pillow for her head since the grass and her hands weren't that comfy. From what she learned it wasn't a necessity to show how excited you were every moment, it was okay for a brief moment but more than the necessary it might be marked as weird in the perspective of other people.

"Naruto Uzumaki, correct?" She forgot the track of time, the newcomer almost startled her like a cat, especially that he was right above her looking down. Though he was wearing a mask much like the ANBU but it had different features.

"Yeah, that's me." For the sake of formalities she got up from her lazy position so she could be in a proper stance to speak with a person. However watching an expressionless mask was uncomfortable especially that she couldn't see the face of the man, though she had talked with many ANBU operatives before, that ANBU in particular was strange and send a very bad feeling to her gut.

After her confirmation the man bowed.

"My deepest apologies." Then he handed a broken Hitai-ate.

Her eyes widened in shock, the information that just recieved was too much to her to even comprehend what that means in the shinobi world.

"What is this?" She desperately asked, but he was fooling herself by asking that question. She should have understood the meaning behind that action because the Hokage explained it to her, when handing a Hitai-ate; it meant that the owner died on the line of duty.

"This was hitai-ate of Kichiro Hasegawa."

Then the world around her shattered.

* * *

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

She screamed.

She kept screaming until her eyes caught the face of the reality she was in, but that exact moment had been replaying over and over again in her troubled mind. It felt so real that she couldn't discern it from a memory, like a deja vu.

"It was a dream...just a dream." Repeating the same thing over and over again in hopes that it would help her to deal with her situation and erase that memory forever to never return or even manifest in other form in the future, but she knew it was hopeless because it had happened before.

She simply lost count of how many times she had the same dream, or better said; nightmare.

Naruto was totally unaware that she abruptly ended the sleep of everybody living inside the Hokage Mansion, but she couldn't care less at the moment, she just wanted to feel safe again, and the fake aura that she was trying to give herself with her arms was of little help.

When Kichiro left she had been living alone once again and it seemed fine until the day she woke up and had a panic attack, the Anbu had to knock her out to stop her and then help her to calm her down and hopefully deal with the problem to avoid that i could happen a second time, Hiruzen immediately moved her to his home with his family; he had been expecting that happen but never that soon or in that scale. Yet it relieved him to see that it had good results because she never had more panics attacks.

"Are you okay Onee-chan?" Said a sleepy boy who was abruptly woke up from his necessary rest, however he was kind of accustomed to wake up early in the morning so he wasn't really that mad because there were times that Ebisu-sensei woke him up before the sun appeared.

The blonde finally noticed the consequences of her justified outburst and didn't want to unnecessarily worry the little boy who was practically her otouto.

"Yes!" She quickly lowered her tone. "Don't worry Konohamaru, it was nothing." The smile was fake and she couldn't even believe it but as it was said before she didn't want to worry him.

"Okay then." He accepted the answer and resumed his sleep, after all he wasn't fully awake so it was very easy to fell asleep for him again, but for others it couldn't be said the same thing.

Naruto however didn't returned to sleep, she sat at the edge of the bed in the verge of tears. She worried so much for him and it scared her that she would be alone forever but thankfully her sorrow was stopped in time.

The door opened and revealed a Hiruzen Sarutobi ready to begin the day with his Kage robes except for the hat, after all as the Hokage he has to work before everybody because his work is the most demanding one and important.

Naruto immediately left the bed and ran to him with open arms which latched on him didn't thinking in letting him go anywhere, not like he was thinking of leaving anyways.

"The same dream?" It was an often occurrence with her, it didn't happen the first two years but her last year at the academy the nightmare began to manifest and she suffered a lot, however he always made sure to be there for her and calm her down, and try to bring her back from the dark corner that she was in.

Her gaze was just as her current mood, it was supposed to be a good and happy day but thanks to that nightmare it was ruined and it was unsure if it could be salvaged.

"Yes Oji-san…"

Hiruzen just guided her to the kitchen where she took seat on one of the many empty chairs which were around the round table while the Hokage went to the refrigerator then opened one of the many drawers to gather all the required ingredients to prepare a warm cup of milk for Naruto.

She quickly drank all its contents and wipe out the white moustache from her face with the sleeve of her pajama, after all she already had her whisker marks; she didn't need more facial thingies on her.

The two of them remained in silence, but in all honesty Hiruzen wanted to speak first however he knew better and Naruto was the one who needed to start the conversation or it wouldn't hold much significance then.

"I'm scared, what if something happened to him?" She wasn't openly crying like before but her eyes wanted to let a few tears slide to show the world in how much pain she was in.

"Naruto have faith, everything is going to be fine." It was always the same response, to have faith and trust that everything would be fine, but at the end it was everything she could do in her situation and she didn't like at all,even more she hated to feel that helpless.

"I don't know." However she did not show that particular emotion, perhaps because it wouldn't change the situation in anything. Also she was taught by the best, hate shouldn't be something that should be guiding your life it would only attract misery between other things.

"Yes you know, after all do you doubt him?" His answer brought him a nostalgic feeling, after all it was very similar what he said to Kichiro when he was on a very desperate moment and needed a shoulder to support himself. He was saddened by his departure, but it was very common for the shinobi life however his departure to join Root brought worry upon the old man, but he trusted him just as Naruto trusted him.

"Of course not!" For her to doubt him even for a second was outrageous, even considered an offense because her Onii-chan wouldn't lie to her or do something to hurt her. What happened years ago was a mistake from both parties and each one apologized and understood.

"Then there is your answer, he will be there." Naruto froze for only for an instant after the answer clicked within her, there wasn't any doubt that he would come back to her. She just needed to be patient that' was all.

"Thanks." She smiled.

Now with the problem solved the hokage once again stood up and began to gather everything that could be necessary to prepare a breakfast for everybody inside the house.

"Anyways, now that you are awake help me to prepare today's breakfast." It was going to be an early breakfast but a good and nutritive breakfast nevertheless.

"Okay!"

* * *

It was the day, a very important day for all the academy students. It was the day that the exams were held and determine who was worth to wear the Hitai-ate and represent the village outside its walls in missions or on the battlefield.

However it also was a day for celebration, for all the students who passed after performing the three required jutsus. Those three were the basis for the shinobi life, however they could only take you so far; because on the battlefield those were practically useless. That's why they were assigned to a jounin who would teach them and mold them for the real world.

But the graduates were unaware and didn't care for the moment, they were simply happy that they managed to pass and receive their hitai-ate which would wear them with pride.

"See? it was easy!" Well many were happy but others were beyond happy, they were excited and wanting to boast their achievement to others though it wouldn't be considered as one since they were boasting between themselves. The heir of the Inuzuka clan was an example.

"I don't know Kiba." The owner was nothing less than the heir of the Nara clan, Shikamaru Nara the lazy genius, who was lazily lying on the bench occupying all the space. "I found it very troublesome." That was the trademark phrase of the clan and probably would never leave their vocabulary.

However that infuriated our blonde Jinchuuriki, don't get her wrong, Shikamaru became one of her friends just as everybody present but there was one thing that she always disliked from him was his attitude and couldn't understand how he managed to score high grades without bothering to read a book.

It kinda pissed her off that she had been studying so hard for so long to get where she was while other did the minimal effort.

"You find everything troublesome Shikamaru." She had her arms crossed as she glared at her lazy friend who didn't bother to pay attention to her, after all he was more focused in cloud watching or probably staring at the nothingness of the skye. Either option he had to put a lot of effort to give a reply and disagree with her statement.

"Not everything..." His tiredly groaned, his hopes were that he could fall asleep as soon as possible so his friends would carry him back to the compound.

"Name one then." She knew that she got him there, the Nara were known to find everything troublesome or what she was told, also she wanted to win at least one argument against him. Their imaginary score was Shikamaru 15 Naruto 0, but it couldn't be helped; after all he was a genius, a lazy one.

"Cloud watching." He cockily smirked at her, he didn't need to look at her direction to tell that he had won once again.

Naruto's jaw figuratively fell to the ground, she should have known better.

Everybody remained in silence until Kiba laughed to his heart's content, then everybody followed except for the now embarrassed and defeated Naruto.

"He got you there Naruto." Choji remarked after he finished his bag of chips which didn't lose a beat to get the other one from his bag and began to dig in.

The shame!

"Shut up! That doesn't count!" Her visible blush didn't help her situation or to be taken seriously.

But for a certain Aburame heir, he understood the logic of the situation and decided to explain on a more detailed plain-

"Why doesn't count? If I recall you asked for an activity that Shikamaru didn't find troublesome and he mentioned cloud watching which is a valid answer." Then he returned to his personal place and do what all the Aburame's do in group talks, being an enigma.

But for the obvious blonde, she couldn't remain calm because she wasn't planning on giving up because she wanted to to at least win once against Shikamaru by any means necessary. At least the embarrassed blush from her cheeks was gone, so it could somehow help her.

"Help me here Hinata-chan!" So she quickly latched on her final option, the heiress of the Hyuga clan, perhaps she was a bit shy but she knew she could count on her in anything that she could need help.

She trusted her that she would help her to make everybody to see reason and that she was correct.

"Ano...Sorry Naruto but Shino is right." Only to be betrayed.

"Really?! Nobody is on my side?" She frantically looked around and every time her eyes fell on of her friends they shook respectively shook their heads. "Ugh!" In her mind she was calling everybody traitors except for Shikamaru for obvious reasons, then a dark cloud befall upon her giving a very depressing picture as if the world was about to go down with her.

However the heiress of the Yamanaka clan wasn't going to accept such mood to ruin a very special day, it wouldn't do justice.

"Anyways don't feel down! We are ninja now!" She pointed her Hitai-ate with the biggest grin she could do, thanks to her everything returned back to normal including Naruto whose cloud was quickly blown very far away and hopefully never return, but with Shikamaru near and with his unbeatable score; the cloud would always linger around just for the sake to annoy her.

Once again the Aburame hair returned from his secluded place to speak. "Ino-san is correct, we shouldn't be having negative emotions, why? Because all of us had passed the exams and should be happy and celebrating this achievement." Then he took seat without adding anything more.

"Shino is right!" Ino exclaimed and looked around to see that everybody was ready to listen to her, so she lowered her tone and shoot the question of the day. "So what should we do?"

All the new ninja pondered the alternatives, from just hanging around to watch the recent movie at the theatre. They could also have a party but any of them were kind enough to offer a house; Hinata was out of the question because the Hyuga were not only traditionalist but very strict; their party would be at most a gathering to drink tea on very formal robes.

Not much time passed but thanks to the silent atmosphere it felt like they had wasted hours thinking in a possibility that everybody would like, except Shikamaru because he used that opportunity to fell asleep.

"We can go to my family restaurant." Choji said getting everybody's attention, he mostly suggested it because he was low on food and needed to restock but his clan's restaurant were excellent and he knew that they would love to eat there and have a discount.

"You always think about eating Choji."Naruto rolled her eyes, she had expected that from her friend; after all she couldn't recall a moment in the entire Academy that she didn't see him eating, though whenever she felt a bit hungry or just felt like eating something quick Choji was her only and best option.

"Actually I feel in the mood on some barbecue." Shino said.

"Now I'm hungry." Ino pouted as she crossed both arms.

"Me too." Hinata sheepishly smiled when her stomach rumbled.

Kiba looked to the sky to ponder but didn't take him long enough to feel the hunger, he looked at his companion who nodded and wiggled his tail. "Same."

"Well is decided then, to the Akimichi restaurant!" Then Ino took the lead by giving the first step, the others followed except for Choji who had been trying to wake up the Nara heir, who didn't budge.

Choji was perfectly aware that Shikamaru was faking it but he was too kind to wake him by force, so he called for Ino who knew how to make the lazy genius move or work. With a well placed kick and yelling that she would accuse him to his mother; something that everybody learned was that Shikamaru's mother was really scary when she was mad so they felt sympathy for the boy sometimes.

Shikamaru opened his eyes when he was already on the ground, annoyed that his clothes stained with dirt and it would be a drag to clean it before reaching his home.

So with him included they began their way to celebrate.

However a certain blonde didn't follow, she remained on the bench patiently waiting for something to happen or better said somebody.

"Aren't you coming Naruto?" Hinata curiously asked when she saw her friend stay behind, however something nagged in her mind like she should remember because something in particular was going to happen that very day, Naruto told her after all.

"Sorry everyone but I'm waiting for somebody." She gently smiled at the group, Hinata finally found the answer by then.

"Oh! Is somebody _very_ special to you?" Ino loved to gossip and was curios as a cat, if there was something juicy then she needed to know and tell everybody about it. A bad habit probably but that's her.

"Yes." Naruto happily nodded and Ino gasped in surprise.

Sadly Naruto was totally unaware of what she just confirmed to the gossip queen of Konoha that she had somebody special but in the _other_ way; the romantically involved type.

"I can't believe it! Naruto has a boyfriend!" She shouted to everybody to hear, and everybody did hear. All the the stares when on the Jinchuuriki in complete surprise, and their ears were attentive to hear everything.

 _"WHAT?!"_ Her face became red however she didn't notice how warm was her face for the bomb that Ino dropped on her, especially that she said it out loud and everybody was watching her expectantly. Attention was good but there were types of attention and she definitely didn't like that one, not a little bit.

She was embarrassed to put it simply.

"You should have told us since the beginning, we would have understood then."

"Is not like that!" She couldn't do anything to stop her blush or at least hide it; there was always the option to cover herself with her hair but it would ruin hours of work and it would reflect bad and cute on her thing that she wanted to avoid at all cost.

"Sure Naruto, so tell me is he handsome, cool, strong?" Ino's face was mere inches away from Naruto's, she wanted to know everything from the beginning if possible, she could also tell that everybody behind also wanted to hear the story but were more reserved unlike her who was practically invading personal space.

She pushed her away and created distance between themselves, she tried to look mad but the blush didn't help at all if not it only worsened the situation making it look like she was in denial because of embarrassment.

"Shut up Ino." Even the reply didn't help.

"Aww come one tell me, I'm curious." As ever when she was denied of something very important, for her, she did her trademark pose with pouting lips and hands of her hips. However she was laughing in her mind because her friend's reaction was priceless, she never had seen her that flustered before.

"I don't have a boyfriend." This time her tone was lower than before.

Thankfully for Naruto Hinata had enough of Ino' teasing her friend and decided to step in.

"Ano...Ino what she meant is that she is waiting for her Onii-chan, he promised that he would arrive today."

"Ohhhh…" Everybody said in unison as if it was the revelation of the year, they got their answer but not in the way they expected. They expected a lot of teasing to the point that Naruto would spill the beans so Ino could stop.

"So is he handsome?" Wild question appeared from the blonde ninja.

"Ino!" Now it was the time for both friends to glare at her, enough was enough.

* * *

It was a very important day for the Jinchuuriki of the Nine tails, she was very excited and anybody who passed by; could see her excitement with a mere glance. After all she was practically jumping on the spot wearing the biggest grin ever.

So she was waiting at the tree where they met for the first time not because it was accorded but because she felt attracted to that place; like it was calling for her and probably he would be attracted there the moment he arrived.

However she was alone now that her friends left to celebrate in a restaurant but she didn't mind that fact because it was a temporary moments of loneliness which she could endure, and would endure for him.

So just like that time passed.

Naruto didn't get tired but uncomfortable to remain standing for so much time, so she decided to lay down and watch the blue sky. A girl normal reaction would be to search for a seat and mind that her clothes wouldn't stain but Naruto didn't care for that at all; she wasn't a very girly one like the civilians but also her clothes weren't expensive and were made to sustain training sessions.

Time passed.

Thanks to the fact of being a Jinchuuriki she couldn't get tired, if she was told to do over 100 push ups then she would do it with relative ease and still have energy to keep going for who knows how long, it was a small little thing that she liked to boast but without ill intentions just to annoy a little especially Kichiro who would drop dead after the 40 push up. But that was the physical aspect, her body could go but her mind couldn't, if it felt like she needed rest then she would feel tired just because she her brain said so, also she respected the cycles of the day all work on the day and all the rest for the night.

But there was one thing that she would never get tired and that was wait for Kichiro because he promised that he would arrive to congratulate her.

The academy was empty, that included the teachers. She was the only soul inside its grounds, and the doubt began to crept around her. But she had strong will and determination and a lot of faith and trust for him, the doubt would never make her doubt him, perhaps he simply had some errand to do before coming or he was called to do something quick.

Or maybe something happened to him.

She quickly shook her head trying to get rid of that idea, it was impossible for that to happen. The Hokage reassured her that he would be fine and she only needed to be patient, he taught her to be patient after all.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto quickly turned to the source of the new voice that almost startled her, her eyes caught the form of an ANBU. But the the ANBU was different from the what she remembered, they usually had a porcelain mask that had a resemblance of an animal, the one who was addressing her was wearing a mask with black spirals.

But that wasn't the only difference, the Anbu wasn't wearing the standard uniform, it was a combination of Shinobi clothes all covered with a black hooded cape that covered his hair, except for the small pair of bangs.

"I am waiting for my Onii-chan." Normally she would feel nervous around the strange ANBU but she couldn't explain how that ANBU had that calm aura around him that made her feel safe, she would dare to say happy.

"Oh! Tell me about him, for you to wait for him to such hours he must be important to you." He sounded overjoyed and very curios to hear her answer, and she didn't feel like she should deny such request; she loved to talk about him after all.

"He is important." She said and looked at her hands, but there was a little problem. There were a lot of things that she could tell about Kichiro but didn't know where to start.

"Well he is awesome, I love his cooking but even more his bed stories." She was totally unaware that her lips curled into a sincere smile. "He is very nice but also a bit of a dork, I mean he does a lot of silly stuff like suddenly cursing a man named Kishimoto or start praying to whatever he was praying, but the most important thing is that I can always count on hm."

Naruto then became silent, but the smile never left her whiskered face. She felt like a weight was lifted from her, it seemed that talking about him made her feel a little better though she wasn't feeling down at all.

"So tell me, does your Onii-chan have black eyes, black hair, thin lips, white skin and a very handsome face?" The ANBU asked with a very funny tone which only caused her to giggle a for a brief moment.

"Yes, yes, yes and yes though the last one I don't know, I haven't seen him for a while." But her amusement quickly died when she realized that the ANBU knew a _little_ too much about her Onii-chan, it raised suspicious within her. "But how do you…"

Her eyes widened the moment she turned to face the ANBU and some serious questions.

"Wow, you really have grown on this time Naruto, haven't you?" Her eyes couldn't believe it, and she also for a moment she didn't want to believe it because of how sudden it was. She was practically frozen thanks to that surprise but nobody said that it was an unwelcomed surprise, it was a very awaited and welcomed one.

But what of surprise she had encountered that had frozen her on the spot?

"Also I like your new style, blue really suits you though I don't know why you have some orange on it but can't be helped."

He was back.

"ONII-CHAN!" Just like that she lunged at him with such force that she brought him to ground with her, but she didn't feel the impact nothing at all, because he was there and took everything for her.

He was finally back.

"I'm back imouto."

She wanted to smile because she was happy, beyond happy, overjoyed! She was everything at the moment, overwhelmed by everything but the smile or grin never came to her.

"Onii-chan…" Tears only came but Kichiro could perfectly discern tears of true happiness from sadness, rather than yell her excitement and her happiness Naruto just let her emotions to do everything and express her happiness to him, then that he couldn't left alone.

He hold her closer and whispered one last thing.

"Is okay, is okay; I'm home."

* * *

 **AN: Well I finally did it! The second Arc start from now on :D**

 **I remind you that in the last chapter I said that I would immediately do a timeskip because I find chapters whose only purpose is to explain training, pointless and mostly a filler chapter thing that I don't like very much, though filler chapters are good in a measured level that is only used to explain the world building but only one or two in total.**

 **But that's not the point.**

 **The point is the beauty of writing and giving life your ideas of how you plan and then things began to distort from the original plan and you end up liking it more than the old version and stick with it, when I began to plan how should I proceed many ideas were there and I liked all of them but I couldn't work with all of them. For example in my mind there was the idea to have him have the same age and pair him with Naruto/Naruko, truly funny if you ask me, but then I realized that I didn't like that very much and also that pairings are normally unnecessary until much later in the story. Also I never expected this fic to turn more into a family fic and how important it was for them for development, but I ended up liking it more.**

 **So don't forget to leave review or simply add it to the fav or follow list because those are awesome especially the reviews! Also I want to see if I can reach 100 follows before the end of the month, (lol don't judge me XD) And if that happen then I will celebrate with omakes especially with this chapter because when I was writing my mind was invaded with very random but funny ideas.**

 **Ja ne!**


	14. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I had been thinking and that if I were to buy a Hamster and name it Naruto then I would practically become the owner of Naruto, but I already have a dog and 3 cats so I can't be the owner of Naruto in both meanings.**

* * *

It was a nice afternoon in the village.

And it was nice that I was back to appreciate the light of the day, to feel the sunlight caress your skin every morning, the fresh air and hear the birds beautiful melodies. Perhaps I was been over dramatic but in all honesty it was how I felt, thanks to Danzo I learned to appreciate life and its wonders more than before; though not in a overzealous level that would turn me into a peaceful monk who wanders around the world and preach about love and peace. Just enough to do not waste my life in petty things or try to do stupid things just to prove a pointless point, also to appreciate even more those who were close to me.

But then a question raises.

What happened down there?

To summarize everything….

Lots of things.

Lots of inhuman and immoral things that broke me, if it wasn't for Fuu knowledge in psychology and Torune emotional support I wouldn't be able to think very well or at all, I would have to put a stop to my training and have Inoichi check my mind or just seal everything within my mind and risk to lose everything.

It was horrible.

And I regretted it.

To had left Naruto's side for that, it wasn't worth at all.

But what is done is done.

And being back brought happiness to me after so long, I was smiling.

And I was silently suffering.

"Honestly I shouldn't have offered to treat you some dango." However that couldn't ruin the moment, I was happy and she was happy well she was happier than me since she was the one who ate unknown amount of dango, and left my my wallet begging for mercy.

Just as I was years ago, learning to manipulate lighting….

No, couldn't start I already talked about it and buried it in the coffins of my mind, I even talked to Hiruzen to set an appointment with Inoichi to discuss about the matter, that were the most traumatic for my persona.

But that was a very minor thing, my focus was on congratulate her and taking her to eat her favorite food was the best option, though I recalled that she loved my home cooking and definitely would have loved those but it would have taken time and wanted to reward her as soon as possible. Also there was something in our home but I forgot with everything that had just transpired,I could only hope it wasn't that important .

"Hey! Why are you saying as if it was a bad thing?" I looked at her with an incredulous look, honestly there was no reason actually explain it in detail and re-tell all the events that happened after our emotional encounter at the academy.

So I pulled out my wallet.

"I'm almost broke." I had less than 5 ryo inside there, it was really depressing. It remembered me the days when I was a toddler or just a snotty brat technically struggling for money, driven from the necessity to steal from the defenseless.

Seriously walking with that little amount of money hurts your pride.

"Oh…" But my response had a negative effect on her, thing that wasn't my intentions at all. Her gaze fell feeling a bit guilty of her actions which she should, she shouldn't take advantage of the kindness from others but that was a lesson for another time; it was her celebration after all.

So quickly pulled her close to me with my right arm as I held my fist into the air, the only thing missing to complete the moment were the manly tears.

"But don't worry about it because your happiness is all the reward I need." Maybe it was to mess with her a little bit but my words held true, I really cared a lot for her happiness and seeing her smile was the best form of payment.

Though I would have liked some kind words from her not to fail widely and shove me away as far as possible, she was annoyed but I smirked at my work. She was flustered and with an angry glare which made her very cute.

So I only laughed in response.

"Ugh do you really need to be so...so corny?" I never taught her that word so I wondered where did she hear it but it didn't matter because it wasn't a bad word though she was in age to start speaking those strong words but I was still going to annoy her with it.

True to be spoken, I wanted to get some form of payback. My wails of justice coming from my wallet managed to convince me to act.

"Couldn't resist to get you flustered, you are very cute." I poked her forehead with my index, obviously it wasn't with any strength backing it up just a common and harmless poke but it always had an effect of her like a trigger but from there had two variations; or she gets mad or she gets even more flustered.

To my eternal amusement it was the later.

"Shut up…" Though I prefered the younger version, but I couldn't complain much about the present; I wouldn't change her for anything in the world. Watching her red and trying to cover herself with both pigtails only worsened her situation and I felt how something inside me broke at watching her.

I didn't think twice, I simply lunged at her.

"You need to daily dosis of hugs now." And she was trapped between my arms.

"Oh hell no!"

A few struggles and a short pursuit across the streets the two of us ended up on the Park, which was overcrowded with families of all sizes, so we settled everything and took seat on the nearest empty bench; it had a nice view of the whole complex if you ask us.

The only thing that we needed were ice-creams.

"Here Onii-chan." Problem that was solved with the last of my money and a few ryo that we found across the way, though they were very cheap ice-creams, the ice lolly with a random flavor; but it was better than anything at all.

But I firmly believed that she should have waited for me to enjoy the small treat.

"Thanks Naru-chan." Without a moment to lose I enjoyed the fresh feeling of an ice cream on an afternoon.

We took our time enjoying it but the silence between us got the better of me.

"So tell me about the academy." A quick question that surprisingly has not been brought up in all this time, but she told me many things that were related to that question but not directly like how her friends did there and more.

"Nothing really interested happened." She shrugged without bothering to stop eating her ice lolly, perhaps she didn't notice much she have matured a bit and also she lost some of her over hyperactive self, years ago she would be telling me every little detail as she jumped around me with the biggest grin she could muster.

Things change, couldn't be helped but in this case it was for the better.

"Really?"

"Yep, Oji-san taught me everything beforehand." She nodded as she resumed eating what was left of her ice-cream, she was winning.

"Well that explains how you over excelled at everything." I was sure that she would score high in the academy and I expected her to score high since I established a routine, discipline and responsibility on her; but the most important was the attitude to face on the problems.

But that Hiruzen had been guiding her was new, that was very nice from his part. If I knew of his involvement then I would have bought something for him but he is very humble to accept it but I still need to give him my sincere gratitude

"Was there any doubt?" She gave me her unique foxy grin, though one could consider it very cocky response I considered a very good answer; after all everything is all and good in moderation. I really missed that smile but more than her genuine smile of happiness.

I wonder how I learned to love like that.

But the answer i irrelevant for the moment because when I got her file and expedient I found out that she got low scores in the last academy jutsu, the Bunshin.

"Nope, well except for the Bunshin." But I wasn't going to be angry or harsh on her because as Jinchuuriki it was impossible for her to perform genjutsu at all and the bunshin had similar requirements for perform a genjutsu, with her ridiculous amount of chakra she practically murdered her clones with chakra overload. Though I would have loved to see her face when she performed that jutsu for the first time.

"Oh yeah _that_ jutsu." If her face was any indication she still had a grudge against that stupid jutsu, and her tone showed how much disgust she had on it. I could rub that sore spot and boast how I could perform many bunshins but it would be out of place and I would be quickly silenced with the clones that she learned to replace them since I couldn't even do a single one.

"Don't sweat over it, is an useless jutsu anyways." I waved my hand in dismissal, there was no real reason to be mad. "Besides you have a better Bunshin." I quickly added, with the better bunshin she was far above her generation but that was only a plus because I doubt that she was a little above average if she had been training with Hiruzen, because I doubt that Hiruzen was the only one training her; Ebisu and Asuma also could have trained her in my absence at least for a little; but I should ask later for confirm my suspicious.

I didn't notice that she had already finished her ice cream until she jumped from her spot from sheer amount of excitement. Without losing momentum she did the correct hand seal for her favorite technique.

 **"Kage no Bunshin no jutsu!"**

Then we were engulfed by a cloud of smoke, dunno why it happens but there must be a reason behind and also the amount of smoke sometimes can become annoying if she was going to spam clones over and over again; maybe that is connected with her chakra control but I cannot theorize without any solid lead.

When the cloud finally dispelled instead of finding Naruto, there were two grinning Naruto very proud of themselves in their feat.

"Solid clones dattebayo!" At hearing her language tick throw me into a fit of laughter, I almost forgot about that particular thing honestly speaking, and honestly I decided that I didn't want to get rid of it at all it was part of her after all.

However there was another evil idea forming inside my head, I wanted to test the odds. I didn't who was the real one and the odds were fifty against fifty; so without further thinking I lunged agats the nearest Naruto and trapped her into my unbreakable bear hug.

"Now I have something to hug." With her arms disabled she wildly flailed her legs in the air, which showed how much she wanted to get away. She loves hugs mind you but she knows the difference between real and sincere hugs from the ones that do to mess with her and probably embarrass her in front of bystanders; I should have shame.

But there was not a single hint of shame within me.

"Ugh! Help me!" I couldn't see Naruto's face but the way of how the second Naruto was looking at the trapped one told me that she was practically begging her counterpart to do anything in order to save her. Even if she shouted the second Naruto was deaf of her pleas.

It took exactly 3 seconds before the second Naruto took a very important decision.

"Sorry boss but I like my freedom!" And just like that the newly discovered clone dispelled itself only leaving a cloud of smoke and a very pissed Naruto between my arms without any hopes of escaping.

 **"TRAITOR!"** That was her last word.

Though thinking it better I had been wondering why she didn't use the Kawarimi to change places with the clone or with anything that was around us, forget the last part because there were nothing to change places except for the occasional bystander who sent us judging glares.

* * *

Again we spent the time and the sun was finally setting when we stopped messing around, the twilight of the day was very nice and calm and it reminded me of that day years ago which was very important but it was a combination of happy and sad moments for both of us.

We weren't in the public park anymore, we were simply walking around the streets of Konoha just for the sake of walking, talking in one place wasn't that comfortable or interesting enough.

"So what did you learn?" My gaze used to be focused on the street but he caused me to redirect my focus on her, her question was kinda odd because how general it was I only needed her to specify in the meantime I wouldn't be able to respond then.

"Mmm?"

She quickly caught my question.

"I mean how was your training trip" I froze on the spot, I stopped dead on my tracks. I was practically an statue in the middle of the street. But it didn't end there, my world, my surroundings, my everything was engulfed in darkness; the air pressure became too much as my lungs failed to properly breath and keep me alive.

I remembered.

My training.

 _'Please stop...I can't…''_

The pain was unbearable and I was literally broken.

 _'You still have both arms so use them.'_

"Onii-chan?" However her concern for me snapped me back from the memory, and everything came back to life; I was back in konoha with Naruto to my right looking concerned for my well being.

That scene was a part of my training in Root, Hiruzen was right all along, I was clueless of what it was supposed to be; my idea was vague if not incorrect.

That was the reason of why I requested help from an expert,

"I'm not gonna lie, it was really harsh and exhausting." And inhuman, immoral, disgusting, mind breaking and much more. But I went through it and came out of top so I only need to bury it in the coffins of my mind; but I had been having trouble in doing so.

I was glad that she would never need to pass something like that in her life.

"But I cannot deny the fact that it did wonders on me, here have a look." Yes I hated that part of my life but the results were good, it was a success; but I would never admit that the whole training was worth everything, never was and never will.

I began to do many hand seal to channel the chakra to my arms.

" **Raiton:...** " But I quickly stopped myself as I gave a mental sla to react to the reality, I was being stupid for trying that jutsu outside training grounds. It was a violation of the law to perform a wide scale jutsu outside designed areas.

I gave long breaths to try to calm down my chakra network and let the chakra flow in its normal rhythm.

"Thinking it better, I will show you when we are on the training grounds." I almost committed terrible mistake and Hiruzen would have punished me accordingly and who knows what Danzo would do for at like an idiot, he despised them if not totally hate them.

"Awww, Why not here?" She had the look of disappointment all over her face, it was a fast change of mood; moments before she looked very excited to witness a flashy jutsu.

I was a bit surprised that Naruto didn't understand my reasons to stop at first, since I thought that she studied the laws of Konoha Shinobi or at least gave a quick look to the most important ones.

To support my point I signaled our surrounds with both arms, perhaps the street wasn't filled with people but there were still some civilians walking.

"Look around us." Also I swear that I saw an Anbu nearby, probably was a sensor that felt a surge of chakra and came to investigate. "I cannot spam jutsus without getting in trouble." I was serious, I read the laws and the punishment variated from jail to permanent sealing of your chakra system.

"Okay but wait..." So did I. "Does Oji-san know that you are here?" My eyebrows rose in mild interest, she stopped with the name Hokage-jiji or just Jiji and became Oji-san; that was something that he didn't tell me when we spoke but it wasn't really that important for our conversation.

"I already reported to him, don't worry." Our talk took more than expected, though many details were left out because I couldn't speak of them or I just didn't want when you speak you relive memories or thoughts to help you to think your next line. Also we had been discussing something very important for me.

"Oh I almost forgot.." My hand quickly went to retrieve a small scroll from my belt which I channeled a bit of chakra. The reaction was instantly and besides the scroll was a book, not thick to consider it a book of research or something of the sort neither a very thin book but one that was enough to tell that it had a long story within it.

"Here." She received it with both hands and gave a quick look through the page without reading, just checking for satisfy her curiosity.

"What's this?" She asked after finishing her quick look.

"A book." I deadpanned with a serious face.

Naruto simply sighed and rubbed her temples with one hand, that answer definitely got her; she also gets tired of my childish behaviour just like I do. It was mutual.

"I didn't mean that."

My face contorted into a sheepish smile as I rubbed the back of head.

"Oh, is my first creation." Not it wasn't my first creation, even more; it wasn't mine at all. "My sensei told me to do something to keep my mind occupied to cope with the training, besides is also a way to repay all those bed stories that I missed."

Is true, Danzo force their trainees to have a hobby in which they would spend their time to occupy their mind and clear them, it was a way to deal with the stress and exhaustion that our mind went through the training regime. If recalled correctly there was a guy whose hobby was gardening, so he was given a bonsai and a few more nocturnal plants, but the most common hobby down there was drawing and painting, and let me tell you that I found very beautiful pieces of art. It was like to see the blossoming of a flower in the middle of a swamp.

So I chose writing, Danzo was very skeptical about my choice and had been constantly sending agents to read what I had written to check for anything suspicious; they never found anything because there was anything in the first place. But the funny thing about the whole thing was that they ended up liking what I wrote.

So what did I write?

The answer is what did I re-write?

I swear I could see my consciousness glaring at me with utter disgust of what I did, I should feel dirty but at the end I couldn't care less about it. I wanted an income and I was going to get one one way or another. But practically I wasn't stealing anybody works because the supposed owner never existed in the first place.

"Jojo's Bizarre Adventures, Phantom Blood." Naruto read out loud titling her head in confusion.

My smile grew wider, turning into a toothy smile.

"Is a book with lots of action, badassery and determination, I had been speaking with Hokage-sama to find me a trustworthy editor so I could publish it." Ahhh the irony, I was genuinely worried that somebody could steal the ideas or the rights of the book.

"Consider yourself lucky, that's the original." Not really, but nobody knows so nobody would be affected. Though writing the whole first story was very difficult to accomplish; not the writing itself but trying to remember all the details, it were only scenes over there and a few glimpses what I could ember and I spoke with Fuu about the wonders of the brain and he explained me that the brain ever forgets information because it was stored, however when the information lose importance you begin to stop thinking about until it has no importance at all; so the information is stored until is wanted once again. So with that he taught me a trick of the Yamanaka to remember every little detail.

The technique was similar to the Mind transfer Jutsu in a way, but this one was more deep and it could be performed on himself and only required a bit of meditation with chakra control to stimulate the correct part of the brain and you would start your mind walk across your memories.

"Thanks onii-chan." Perhaps one would think that Naruto would never read the book but as I said before I did a very good job in teaching her responsibility and attitude toward the studies, she doesn't like books just as much as we don't like boring books about philosophy but we still enjoy reading books just for entertainment.

"I'm pretty sure that you will love it." Besides she would definitely like the fan service that I got from Sai drawings, wait a damn minute…

 _Shit…_

I forgot the fanservice.

But thinking it better I had removed those pages to put them in the book that was going to be given to the editor, so everything is fine for now.

"Now I feel that I should have gotten you a present." Her shoulders dropped with her gaze as the fact sank in, she was kind and didn't like to feel indebted to somebody.

I ruffled her hair a bit in response getting her full attention.

"Nah, I don't mind at all...though a small kiss would do nicely." I leaned closer showing my cheek which she quickly complied with my demands.

"Anyways I think we should go home." I was surprised at first when she quickly grabbed my hand and ran ahead dragging me along, but then I warmly smiled then laughed at the situation; it was me the one who was supposed to lead her not the other way around but I wasn't going to complain.

* * *

The sun was gone and the light system was turned on, Konoha nightlife had just began but for us it had come to an end. We were going to enjoy the night inside, and every step that got me closer to the entrance of my home felt heavy upon me, not because of guilt just the sheer amount of emotion that it had for returning to my home since I was gone 3 years.

Though both of us were returning to our home after long time, it pained me to discover that Naruto had a bad episode inside our home just because she couldn't deal with the fact that I wasn't there.; but now it any of us were going to be alone.

"What are you going to do for dinner?"

"I don't know yet, so is your choice."

"Pizza!"

"Pizza it is then."

"Welcome back Kichiro-sama."

"Oh…"

Shit.

I totally forgot about him.

"Onii-chan why there is a stranger inside our home?"

It wasn't entirely my fault, people tends to forget things when they are simply too occupied in something of more importance. I wasn't saying that he was unimportant but to talk with Naruto after so long is what mattered to be more than anything. But if I wouldn't have forgotten about him then it would have made the situation less awkward.

So I cleared my throat to get her attention and prepare myself to begin with the necessary introduction.

"Is not a stranger I simply forgot to tell you about him." Maybe I shouldn't have said that because as much as he says that he doesn't mind at all I know for a fact the he actually minds.

"Anyways, Naruto meet Kimimaro Kaguya."

One of the many tools that will help me to write and edit the world.

* * *

 **AN: Oh well this the last chapter and we totally put a stop to the emotions here, next chap is on the plot of the story and ninja life. MIssions, fights, you know the drill.**

 **Remember to R &R because they are cool and by doing it you become cool too. Lol.**

 **Also if you wanna ask something then do it through the reviews or PM either is fine and it will be answered the next chapter unless you want privacy.**

 _ **BrotherCaptainSheperd: Is a surprise, but something is for sure is that you will not see it coming.**_

 **Ja ne!**


	15. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I am not sleeping on money so that means that I'm not the owner of Naruto…. _yet._**

* * *

 **DUST** is the ice in the vast desert.

 **VOLT** is just like a flash of thunder, you might had seen it but never heard so there is no evidence of your claim.

 **BOULDER** is the same as anything, but you when everything is the same you cannot tell the difference until it's too late to react.

 **MIST** is the silence that cloud your vision, and engulf you in the eternal blindness.

They are just like us.

We do not exist, we are supposed to be only a faint rumor between our villages.

We are alike but at the same time very different and for that we are sworn enemies ready to behead, cut, stab and destroy each other until there is nothing left.

Those are our enemies that Konoha never openly faced, only us Root did through the shadows where nothing could go out to the light and any victory or defeat wouldn't be acknowledged at all because it never happened in the first place.

The world needs balance, where is light there must be a shadow; where is good there must be evil; kindness with cruelty and more.

That what I had been taught down there in Root just like all the trainees, the only history we needed to known; clan's Kekkei Genkais, Bingo book names, bounty hunters, experiments, weapons, human body, poison, that was important, the rest was irrelevant.

However that lesson is only given after you survived and met the minimal requirements to be considered a real shinobi.

However a REAL shinobi's meaning had changed according to people point of view, many expressed that a real shinobi is one who never abandons their comrades, other explained that they need to kill their emotions. However those are incorrect.

I didn't the now the true meaning of a shinobi but I could easily tell that those weren't real shinobi, the first option was a sentimental idiot who allowed their emotions to get in the live of duty a fatal mistake that could lead to failure even death, and an emotionless puppet is only a killer machine that has no real use beside in battle.

From there a new point was raised, some people knew ROOT and they held a deep hate for us, we are only seen as puppets of a power hungry fool. One of them is Hatake Kakashi, even if he used to work for ROOT, and he made it clear when he invaded the headquarters killing a few operatives and recovering Tenzo. But he was a fool back then, why you ask?

I never trusted Danzo and everything that he told me was processed with the utmost care, but he never share information unless is for a particular motive, and his motive was that he wanted to get more information from me because if he were to try to force me then everything would be lost.

So he told me that Kakashi was dragged down to the request of Hiruzen so he could wake up. The mission was a success.

I also learned that ROOT used to posses an agent from each important clan of Konoha to maintain balance, Aburame, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, Hyuuga, Uchiha, Nara, Akimichi and Senju. However two clan agents were lost forever, the Senju and the Uchiha.

Every clan head hates Danzo and Root with all their might, if they could they would rip his other eye out and force him to eat it then to throw it up only to feed him with that again. But nobody would hate him more than Shibi Aburame and Inoichi Yamanaka.

But their hatred is justified, Danzo stole Torune from Shibi who was practically a son to him and a big brother to Shino, for their stoic appearance many believe that they do not feel emotions but the reality is another. Danzo destroyed his family, he literally hit the horn nest and left unscatted.

Then Inoichi hatred didn't come because he destroyed his family, but because there had been more Yamanaka's agents in Root than any other clan not because they constantly died in the line of duty but because Danzo always took a Yamanaka when the opportunity presented itself, the law stated only one agent per clan, only more could join if they were to willingly join. There are currently 5 functional Yamanaka's agents Fuu being the last recruit, Inoichi probably did his best in tightening the security and give all the clan orphans a stable home.

If he were to know that I am a current Root agent he would fry my brain and send my corpse in a box to Danzo house. However Hiruzen assured me that nothing of the sorts would happen, he invented a story that I was rescued from Danzo's clutches and required immediate help to deal with all the traumas and horrors that I had to go through.

So my opinion on Danzo Shimura?

He's a bastard.

A disgusting bastard that I would rather to see him six feet under the ground; but he is more useful alive than dead.

Konoha is having less mission? Then Root will lure bandits to attack the nearest towns, create problems in purpose so Konoha would go and solve them.

A new jutsu had been created? We are the responsible to test it on a human being, and inform every little detail.

Human experimentation is common down there, however only with captured enemies. Their use is to test all methods possible to increase the chances of success of the experiment so it can be applied in the most suitable agent. He once offered me to become the wielder of a Kekkei Genkai, the Futton(Boil release). The rate of success was eighty nine point nine percent.

I rejected it without a second thought and he never brought the topic ever again

It wasn't that I didn't want power but I simply didn't want to take anymore shortcuts, also even if the rate success was ninety nine percent I would have rejected it because there was the possibility that it would go wrong and kill me if not totally destroy my body.

But how did they got the Futton? Thanks to the civil war there was a exponential grew in missing-nin from Kiri, most of them wielders of a Kekkei Genkai, Root hunt them down and brought their bodies before MIST or the Hunter-nin division could recover the bodies.

However let's bring another point.

Kimimaro Kaguya, the last of the Kaguya clan.

When we were setting the conditions I requested him and he didn't disappoint.

Kimimaro was already there waiting for something interesting to happen, he was in the state that I had been expecting him to be.

Lost.

Devoid of life.

Danzo wanted his undying loyalty, especially when I told him about his fearsome Kekkei Genkai and the potential. However when he discovered about his terminal illness he threw him away after he took all the examples of his DNA in hopes to recreate the Shikotsumyaku in a future.

Kimimaro became even more lost when Danzo casted him away, he even once tried to take his own life because he thought that he was useless to the world and the best solution was to remove himself.

But that's where I came in.

I stopped him.

It was a long process but I taught him about the beauty of life and the mysteries that it held; I promised him that we will learn those secrets. I was proud of myself when I saw the fruits of my labor, I gave him the purpose which he so badly needed and swore undying loyalty towards me, if I were to ask him to take his own life he would do it without hesitation.

Danzo didn't care; he was clear that he wasn't going to spend resources on a lost cause no matter what, Kimimaro didn't have much time left. He was satisfied with the extracted DNA and made some progress but very little to be considered as one.

His terminal illness was a side effect of such powerful Kekkei Genkai, a way to balance the things. He could grew bones to his will and use as he saw fit, however that process wasn't free. It cost him many nutrient from his body to replace the bones, so with the constant use he made his body weak and vulnerable. Normally it could be countered with a proper diet and pills, however it was already too late for that. His body after lacking of the necessary nutrients started to use chakra in a more direct way; causing his some organs to start merging with his chakra system.

Every time he uses his ability, the affected organs began to get filled with chakra and since their function aren't involved with chakra at all; it reacts quite badly.

However I was sure that he could be cured with Tsunade help, Danzo also believed that but he shot down the idea because he knew since the beginning that Tsunade would never lend him a hand in anything. Tsunade medical expertise is acknowledged across the elemental nations, she can cure almost anything. And if she can't cure him then he would find a solution to keep his illness at bay until a solution is found.

Either way Kimimaro was going to live, he needed to live.

With him many routes were opened, with him I was able to get access to Juugo. Perhaps Orochimaru already had him on a cell but it didn't matter, I would find him and bring him. With Kimimaro acting as his jail Juugo could be able to learn self control and become a powerful shinobi.

Kimimaro alone could defeat many of Orochimaru's elite, though I had my doubts if he were to fight with Guren or Kabuto. Anyways she could be manipulated with Yukimaro at later date and I knew many things about Kabuto that could easily break him.

Who could have guessed that Kabuto's only purpose in ROOT was to kill Noño? Is true, Danzo wanted to get rid of the ex-root agent as soon as possible because she disliked Konoha and hated Danzo with all her might, she wanted to spill everything to Iwa or Kumo in hopes that their own Black ops could get rid of him; however she was sealed and couldn't speak anything but the human mind always could find a solution. If Noño was to be discovered she would help the enemy, so she needed to be eliminated. I felt pity for her, from what I could remember she was a very kind person she just happened to had the bad luck to stumble with Root and be forced to join our ranks.

The story was the same from what I could remember.

Kabuto came into picture, an orphan who practically became her son.

Orochimaru saw potential on him and informed Danzo who recruited without second thoughts, from the very moment Kabuto purpose was sealed; he was the one who would get rid of the loose end. He learned everything to counter Noño in all aspects, from taijutsu to genjutsu.

The mission was a success.

Such a tragic story, it could be sold to the public and maybe become a movie.

* * *

After the necessary introductions we were gathered at the living room, Naruto seated next to me as for Kimimaro sitting in front of us unfazed.

"So he will be living with us?" She would learn to appreciate him with time, but in the meantime she would be unsure of him. After all Kimimaro s a complete stranger to her who was suddenly inserted in her life, though recalling the facts she would quickly warm up on him that's her speciality to make friends with rather ease.

"Yep, I already spoke with Hokage-sama." He was another topic but in comparison to the others discussed with him, it was short. Hiruzen only needs a picture and his registration is complete to officially become a Konoha-nin. Though his Kekkei Genkai would remain secret to the records until the time is right.

"Oh well, I guess is fine" Her attitude reminded me when I first met her at the academy, a bit shy; though with the difference that she maintained eye contact unlike before. But that didn't change the fact that she was doubtful about him in a regard which I didn't know.

"Worry not Naruto-sama I can sleep outside if you so desire." Kimimaro reply caught her off the guard, she flinched at hearing him speak like that as she quickly brought her hands up waving them in dismissal. I couldn't blame her, Kimimaro sometimes is a bit cryptic or understands things in the wrong way.

"Is not that!" She cleared her throat. "Is well, this is simply unexpected." She continued scratching her neck a bit embarrassed.

"I understand Naruto-sama." The Kaguya member bowed on his seat.

Naruto turned to me.

"Is he a ninja?" Honestly Kimimaro at mere glance didn't look like a ninja, especially with that Kimono that I got him. He looked more like a servant or butler either term worked; but the choice of clothes were made based on his Kekkei Genkai, any other type of clothes would be destroyed the moment he was engaged in combat.

"Kimimaro is a very capable shinobi, besides he posses a very powerful Kekkei Genkai." I silently gave him the green lights to show her his Shikotsumyaku, though I couldn't tell if she was going to be okay at witnessing it.

Kimimaro extended his hand and Naruto took it as a cue to lean closer, act that she learned to regret moments later when his fingers moved in ways that they shouldn't followed by sharp bones coming out from each finger giving the appearance of a claw.

"Ewww! Gross!" Naruto really needed to control her thoughts, it was okay to express herself and be honest in her opinion but sometimes lying is the best option. In other words my palm met my face in an instant followed by a long sigh, perhaps he didn't show them but he had feeling and everything that his masters said to him mattered.

From his part he bowed again asking for forgiveness since Naruto made him believe that she was offended by his natural ability.

"I apologize Naruto-sama if my action disgusted you." His very soft tone made it all worse, that tone that told you so much of him.

"Naruto." I turned to her with a hard glare, I wasn't going to tongue lash her or yell because it was unnecessary besides a very stern tone and a hard look work nicely.

The moment Naruto's eyes connected with mine, she shrank on the spot. I was able to see the guilt her eyes carried when she finally realized what she did and said. I didn't like at all to make her feel like that and never will but sometimes one needed to step out of line for the right thing.

"Sorry, it just caught me off the guard." She was quick to bow her head and try to explain her reason for reacting in the wrong way, but the true was another; no matter what you said Kimimaro was never going to take an apology from his masters no matter what.

"There is no need to apologize Naruto-sama, I should have explained you rather than acting." With that I sighed, I wanted his undying loyalty; that was an undeniable fact but I was with him or years and sometimes you get tired of certain aspect of a person and for his case, I was getting a bit tired of his overzealous attitude, I even tried to reduce it a little bit but it was impossible. He probably sees me as some form of deity, perhaps a small part of me screams in joy for such adoration but it would be too arrogant from my part.

"Anyways he will help you in you training, as I said he is a very skilled Shinobi." I was already in my calm demeanor, there was no reason to get overworked over a simple things in life.

"Really?" Her demeanour was lifted up

"Of course Naruto-sama, I will do my best to help you." He finally broke out from that emotionless position with his a soft smile while tilting his head slightly to the right.

I was glad to see him show emotions once in awhile but in Naruto case she wasn't like that, she poked me to get my attention and to motion me to get close so she could whisper me something.

"Does he always speak like that?" I should have expected that she wouldn't like to be referred as Naruto-sama every single time despite she likes to boast to show how awesome she is, but the two things are different.

"Just with us." I whispered back then I got in my original position, after all it was considered rude to be whispering in front of another.

"Kimimaro?" The mentioned boy quickly looked at her however his smile was gone, replaced by his very stoic face.

"Could you drop the sama on my name? It feels kinda weird." I could tell that she was still uncomfortable, and honestly to be stared like Kimimaro does I would also be uncomfortable but as I said I got accustomed to him after years of having him around.

"I will try Naruto-sama."

I swear I could see her sweat dropping at that very moment.

I had to stifle my laugh with my hand while the other patted her on the back.

"Hey don't worry, is just the amount of respect he holds." I leaned closer to her. "Besides I doubt that he would be able to stop if he wanted to." True to be spoken I doubt that he would ever want to stop using honorifics.

There was mutual agreement.

"Anyways If I recalled correctly, we were supposed to prepare a very big pizza weren't we?" I casually inserted to the conversation, but that very moment was enough for her to immediately jump from the sofa with a beaming grin which did very poor job in hiding her excitement.

"Right!" And she took of to the kitchen in a flash, it would be funny if it was physically possible to leave an after image made of dust. Since I didn't want to leave her waiting, I also took my leave in direction to the kitchen and also my cooking apron which hopefully I could still use and don't be too small for me.

"Let me help Kichiro-sama." He was such a good boy, offering his help even if he wasn't asked.

"Give a quick clean to the table and set it up." I signaled the furniture which probably had a layer of dust, we couldn't eat in that. It wouldn't be proper, also it could ruin our food.

"As you wish." He bowed and went to get all the cleaning tools necessary for the task.

Normally I was the one who was supposed to prepare and cook the pizza but Naruto was older and very excited to wait for me to finish so I gave her the green lights to help me in the preparation, though the tasks I gave her were with the minimal risk to getting injured. Though I was being a bit overprotective on that one, after all she was able to handle many weapons which only purpose was to kill.

With our outstanding teamwork we reduced the preparation time in half, and created a pizza with many ingredients instead of one, it could probably ruin the flavor to some ingredients but we couldn't care less it was our work and we wanted to get a piece of it and enjoy it at its fullest.

However the two us got very bored at waiting for it to cook in the oven, there wasn't much to do besides staring at how the cheese melted and sometimes created bubbles sadly that activity was put into halt the moment our stomachs grumbled in genuine hunger.

Kimimaro already finished with what I had assigned him and was currently meditating on the living room, thing that I suggested him to do since there wasn't much to do around.

What I assumed to be twenty minutes later Naruto was already on her chair practically jumping with it on the spot excited to ove of her favorite dishes after so long, truly she had attempted to recreate it with the help of Asuma and Konohamaru only to fail miserably and burn it, a funny anecdote which she told me hours ago.

Of course I had to cut it into pieces and handed her a very big portion which caused her grin to become wider than before, if she didn't have any manners she could be drooling of excitement on the table.

"Here we go!" I also grabbed my portion and calmly placed it on my place, however only two of us felt a bit odd since we were already three person living in the apartment.

"Hey Kimimaro don't go there all alone, come sit with us!" Thankfully Naruto was the one to take care of that small problem in a very cheerful way, which sadly didn't reach him in the way she had expecting.

"If that is your wish Naruto-sama." He remained with the same very calm and almost expressionless face of his.

But that wasn't going to ruin our very happy mood and enjoy the meal that was brought to the table with a lot of effort and love, especially love because that is always the most important ingredient in every home cooked meal.

"Itadakimasu!"

We didn't talk much, instead we enjoyed every bite and sometimes mess around with the food or trying to steal each other portion because we simply weren't satisfied with what we already had. However it remained between the two of us since Kimimaro would never get involved not because we didn't want to join but he was too respectful to even dae to think to mess with us even for fun.

With no more pizza to eat Naruto stood up and grabbed her plate and went to to sink so she could wash it, it told me much of how she was educated in my absence. A very good thing honestly speaking; it also showed responsability.

However Kimimaro interfered.

"Don't Naruto-sama, I will take care of everything." Naruto was about to object but I also stopped her from doing so.

"Let him be, probably you are tired." Kimimaro grabbed all the plates and made his way to the sinker where he began to do all the cleaning and probably would do the table and its surroundings too.

Naruto watched him for a moment but then turned to me.

"Not really."

It was a bit early so she wasn't necessarily feeling tired in any way.

"Let's go anyways, I think tomorrow is team assignments." I shrugged as I stated the obvious, Naruto was going to meet her team the next day and I wanted her ready and refreshed for the oncoming revelation which I had my doubts.

"Yep, I hope I'm teamed up with my friends." It was so sweet to see that innocent smile, but I felt like the bad guy when I had to reveal her the truth.

"As much as I want to agree, I can't be totally sure." And I wasn't, Naruto was supposed to be the dead last and so she was going to be paired with the Rookie of the year and the Top Kunoichi, but now she was the Top Kunoichi and probably also the Rookie of the year; I couldn't get a clear idea of who could be her teammates besides the broody emo little shit.

Which I prayed that he wasn't going to be her teammate.

"Why?" Her head tilted in confusion leaving space for satisfy the curiosity that my last statement left in her.

"Team assignments are mostly to balance power between students." I retorted.

"And that means?" She leaned closer giving emphasis to her words.

"That you probably will be paired with the Rookie of the year and the dead-last." I sighed, she probably was aware of who could be her potential teammates.

Then there was silence, a moment of silence for her brain to process the information or probably trying to accept the fact that she was going to be paired with people that probably disliked a lot.

"Naruto?"

It took her exactly one second to jump at me and grab me by the collar. Such action could be taken as an act of aggression if the the perpetrator was taller but since she was smaller it looked different.

Good thing that KImimaro wasn't around or thing could have gotten a bit violent.

"Please tell me that is joke." Those pleading eyes were too much to bear, but I was strong and I needed to remain strong.

"Nope." My casual reply was the trigger for her to release her hold on me and started to make a scene in front of me.

"UGHHH!" Her hands were up only to descend and grab both pigtails and pull them down.

"I will be paired with Sasuke-teme and that weirdo!" Then she stomped in circles matching every step with a pull of her hair. "My life is ruined!" And then she released her hair which surprisingly remained intact with a scratch, maybe she used lotion to keep it in place.

Obviously I wasn't in better mood, I really didn't want him near Naruto but also I didn't want a no name kid to be in her team; he or she would only slow her down. But moving aside she caught my interest when she mentioned the other kid who she referred as weirdo and I didn't know anybody of importance who could fit the criteria, all of her friends weren't weirdos at all; she had their own nicknames for each one after all.

"Weirdo?" My mind still tried to search for an answer, and I was worrying that in fact, he or she was a weird no name kid and was going to be in her team, but until she told me the name I was never going to be sure.

"His name is Sai and he is very weird, especially that smile of his." I knew that name but when she added that the bo possessed a smile that looked weird for her was enough proof to conclude that she was talking about Sai one of the failures from ROOT.

"Oh…" But don't get me wrong, Sai is not by any means a failure. He is a very skilled shinobi and his ink jutsus are both powerful and useful for espionage, sabotage and assassination. He along with Shin were a very powerful duo who succeeded in many missions which I failed because my companion usually died; and since it happened with some frequency the old war hawk decided to put me in the team of Torune and Fuu.

Honestly I expected Danzo to force them to fight to death but it never happened, that test was never implemented in ROOT because of the consequences that it caused in the mental health, they were brothers all but in blood.

Something that one should be aware is that the mental conditioning is totally different from what everybody believe, it came along with the training(torture) and not everybody was guaranteed to react accordingly to what was planned.

Sai couldn't handle the effects and broke, he supposedly became an emotionless puppet.

Our mental conditioning wasn't meant to make us emotionless husks, but to learn to wear and remove the shinobi mask when necessary. With the shinobi mask on we were killing machine whose only purpose was to complete the mission at any cost, removing our masks we were as normal as we could be.

So in order to fix him he was removed from the program and sent to the academy in hopes that he could recover; also with the occasional visit to a therapist who would handle his case and didn't have any kind of rancor towards Root; a completely neutral party.

"Hey don't worry is just an assumption." I quite liked him and Shin asked me to check on him since he wasn't going to be able to do so. "Besides if that were to turn true then you can beat the shit out of him with the excuse of rough training." And I couldn't ignore the fact that he was the one who I assigned to draw for my book, he did it for free mind you.

"True." A giggle came from her part but had to come to an unexpected halt by a tired lng yawn, and she was saying that she wasn't feeling tired. Possibly the pizza made a number on her, it was quite potent if you ask me.

"You said that you weren't tired." I was amused of how kids are betrayed by mother nature and the cycle of life, there were many examples with the same situation which I could remember.

"I wasn't." Another yawn came and this time she used both hands to try to hide it, but the only thing she achieved as to made me openly laugh.

"Now you are." My finger pointed at her and was very close of her face which she didn''t hesitate to attempt to bite it; obviously I retraced it in on time. And she was just playing around she would never intentionally hurt me. "And you need a change clothes."

"I left all of them back in Oji-san house." Her gaze went downwards as a hand found its place on her face, that became a problem because there were no spare clothes inside the apartment and if it were then it wouldn't fit her even less me since I had a growth spurt.

I was hit with the realization that I didn't have clothes, even less pajamas to wear. I wanted to slap myself for allowing myself to forget something very important; though I could send Kimimaro to get us a set but the idea was bad. Not because he would fail but he didn't know our measures and was clueless about Konoha in itself, directions, street names; he could get lost with ease.

"I will need to buy some tomorrow." My sigh hold defeat with a pinch of shame but I wasn't going to feel down for trivial things. "Anyways tomorrow is a very important day so start dreaming!"

I was my cheery self once again.

"Can you sleep with me?" Only to be taken away by Naruto's sudden request.

Years back in time I wouldn't have any kind of problems with it, it was normal and also very nice but the present was another thing. She was a twelve years old girl and I was a teenager of fifteen years. It wasn't the same anymore.

"Naruto we are older now, is not the same." I tried to reason with her but watching her body language that expressed her confusion was a signal that we were going to have a long talk about the topic.

"Why?"

But I could simplify it by asking a very simple yet complex and important question.

"Naruto, were you given the talk?" Worry began to form when she showed even more confusion, my worry was directed that she missed that class and was totally clueless about the human anatomy and the answer that she needed to know to understand her body better.

"What?" That uneasy feeling that irk your back when a new situation arises and you really didn't want to deal with it because of how uncomfortable or awkward could get.

"The talk about the birds and bees, you know." If I were a few years younger I could have blushed.

"Oh that one, yep at the academy. Kurenai-sensei explained us some of it but…" It was always that final word that ruined everything and created suspense and worries that the next thing wouldn't be a nice thing.

"But?" I didn't want to be left in suspense but neither to be surprised with something very shocking that could make me spill my drink if I were to have one.

"But she couldn't finish it and had to leave, so another took her place." That was a common thing for Jounins, missions and all; they couldn't be assured to have free time.

"The lady was very weird and say many things that I didn't understand." My eyes widened at what she just told me, my mind went overdrive with all the possibilities that her last reply could mean.

"Naruto who was that lady?" But I wasn't a divine genius and needed help to understand, or comprehend better and give an appropriate answer.

"I think her name was Anko." That was her innocent reply.

Oh god….

 **Oh my god.**

My poor imouto probably had been corrupted!

What monstrosities does her young mind had to witness with that mental woman?!

But! I had hope that Kurenai forced her to act as an adult and to the right thing and do not corrupt the young girl's mind, even if the chances were minimal I hold tightly on them. In other case I would go to Anko house and slap her very hard, couldn't care less if she cut my hand aftermath; Naruto innocence was far more important.

Maybe I was being a bit overprotective.

"Naruto what did she speak?" I was really scared to that point of what could be her answer, seriously anything could be from saying that she talked very dirty to the point to be very graphic in every topic or in the worst of scenarios, she gave a practical class or a demonstration. If the last one happened I would kill her and then commit seppuku since I failed and brought dishonour to the family and myself.

"It was really weird class." Her response didn't help at all, is more I was silently panicking that she was going to confirm my deepest fears.

"Please tell me that she didn't do a practical class." I was practically begging at her feet for her to say no and ease my fears.

"No? She simply used very confusing names." And like that I felt the biggest relief ever, as if the world was lifted from my shoulders. I was so happy, practically beaming with joy at hearing that Anko didn't do anything to corrupt her. But I couldn't be that over dramatic so I simply sighed and everything left through it.

"Thank goodness." My soul which had been threatening to leave my body came back, and well my mind had been considering the possibilities that I could have done if the answer was different and well they were kinda excessive if not plain stupid, but that was me a very overprotective person.

"Why were you worried?" Your innocence Naruto, well not that kind of innocence but the other one, because the other innocence will soon be lost with your first C-Rank missions outside the village. But Hiruzen will be prepared to deal with the outcome just as I will be to give you a shoulder to cry.

"Anko maybe is a bit touched in the head, and I don't know why Kurenai-san entrusted her to give you that class; she could have taught you the wrong things just for fun." It was a fact, she is a good ninja but as a person or even human she isn't exactly likeable to have around. I would rather have my space and my sanity intact.

"Like what?" Her question froze me.

But I quickly shook off the feeling and grabbed her hand to lead her to her room where she was going to sleep, there was no resistance on the walk. But she broke away the moment we stepped inside.

"Is better that we don't talk about it." I was begging inside my head that she could simply drop the topic.

"Why not?" Her head tilted in confusion, while my mind unconsciously began to disgustingly morph the situation in an imaginary scenario.

' _Onii-chan I feel funny down there.'_

Geez, stupid hormones.

Yep I was totally sure that we were never going to have that conversation, and if we were to end in that then I would jump off the window as soon as possible, the height of the building wouldn't matter.

"Trust me Naruto, when you get older you'll understand." And hopefully would completely forget about it.

"But I'm older." Crossing your arms and pouting will not change my decision Naruto, but nice try I give you credit for using the cute factor to your advantage; and I hope that you had been teaching Konohamaru to abuse his age advantage.

"I meant when you reach my age." A necessary clarification since the little blonde attempted to pull the smartass move on me, she was technically right on that one. But my lips were sealed.

At first defeat was clear, a sigh came next using it to let everything out of her system. But then she inhaled obtaining strength to look at me straight to the eyes with renowned determination.

"Either way I don't care, I want to sleep with you." That didn't sound very well, I was very grateful that we were alone because of another person heard us then wrong ideas would have ensured and who knows if Jiraiya were to hear this.

I could already predict the future, 'Icha Icha: Forbidden love.'

"Why?" I didn't know that she was persistent, though I actually knew of how stubborn she was but didn't know in which situation her trait applied.

The determination was gone from her face, leaving behind a genuine face of sadness.

"Because I just don't want to wake up and see that everything was a dream and that you never came…" Then everything made sense, even if I was back and to stay she still held the doubt that I would be gone again and she would be alone. She was scared that everything would be gone the following day; I felt bad for questioning her before.

"This is real Naruto, but as your Nii-chan is my job to help you out." I went for the warm hug as my comforting words reached her with the best of intentions, she was safe and I was happy.

"Thanks Onii-chan."

* * *

 **AN: Dammit is kinda difficult to write without getting all corny and mushy moment between the two of the, the scene always hanged there without letting me go s I had to write it down and be done with it. But at least I know that next chap will be team assignment and a very interesting meeting between Kichiro and Kakashi; maybe they will kill each other or just talk.**

 **Also I wanted to explain a bit of what Kichiro had gotten involved.**

 **And well I had been planning on using Haku but then it hit me that...Haku is normally used so I decided to use Kimimaro instead better results if you ask me.**


	16. Chapter 17

_**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Naruto.**_

* * *

Is funny.

Even HIlarious.

To realize that reality always find a way come back to snap you out of your little fantasy world.

To realize that your knowledge compared to the real deal was a complete joke of bad taste.

But a joke nevertheless.

Funny.

I would have laughed out of spite if it weren't for the cold sensation right under my chin; the sharpness of a kunai pressing on my throat that any sudden movement could cause a cut and draw blood. But it took me a moment to realize that the kunai wasn't right on the throat but around my throat; right above my jugular.

And the one who was holding the weapon against me was no other but Sharingan no Kakashi. I never saw him coming, I expected that without his sharingan he wouldn't be able to discern my genjutsu over the tree and get behind me without activating any of my traps. It was mostly out of paranoia to set up a perimeter of defense so I could watch Naruto's team in action.

"For some reason I got the feeling that I shouldn't kill you and be done with it, just like I always do with your kind." His voice was so cold that I felt shivers run all over my spine, unlike his bored tone or carefree tone that he was always known for using; that specifically tone of voice told you how serious he was at the moment.

But returning to the topic, Naruto's team was according to my suspicious and total displeasure. She was teamed up with Sasuke Uchiha and Sai, most of my displeasure coming with the fact that Sasuke was on her team. But the situation could be salvaged, with him on her team I had more ease to talk to him and twist his goals so they would benefit mines.

"So enlighten me." It foolish to believe that I could escape from him or try to act smart and create my way out of the death situation, Kakashi was an A-rank ninja wanted across the elemental nations with bounties that could buy medium size towns.

And the feeling that he could have ended my life and all my plans in a brim of a second made me feel sick, terribly sick and helpless. I had spent years of training with the most brutal regime facing possible mental breakdowns as well as putting my life on the line and for him it wasn't even worth a drip of sweat.

Another soul crushing revelation.

But I guess it was okay in a way, never once my goals involved to obtain unparalleled power that could rival gods, I wanted to get power yes but just what I considered enough to defend myself from the cruel shinobi world.

"Hello Hatake Kakashi, I wish we could be in better circumstances." There was no malice or open hostility on my words only true, if it wasn't for all the Root training I could be openly shaking showing fear and weakness, besides his KI was powerful but not as much as Danzo could produce in a second; some trainees died just for being exposed to such KI.

"Why were you spying on my students?" The pressure above my jugular didn't faltered just as my stance at the situation, but I was glad that I had all my equipment. Especially my black spiraled mask; he couldn't discover that I was Kichiro or he would bring it up to Hiruzen and he would be forced to act. Also he would do anything to keep me away from Naruto to the point of killing me and get rid of my body.

Thing that I couldn't allow to happen.

"I wonder who the old war hawk is interested in, perhaps the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi or the last Uchiha." To that point he was thinking out loud, he didn't have any intentions to actually hear the answer. Perhaps he simply wanted to toy with me since he firmly believed that I was a mindless drone. "Or maybe you are keeping a close eye to your ex-member."

I grunted trying to fake surprise in the last mentioned option.

"I used to be in Root, I can recognize one of your kind when I see one." A partial true from his part that he totally unaware of, probably he would never learn the truth behind his time in ROOT and never will.

"I am here to satisfy my personal curiosity." I have watched how they passed with ease the genin exams, Sai immediately went to fight alongside Naruto in hopes to get one of the bells, also together they saved Sasuke from his prison however that didn't happen after Naruto had her moment to totally laugh at his expense.

Then they used teamwork and still failed to even touch a bell, expected since Kakashi wasn't going to let a bunch of fresh out genin surpass him even if he was holding back a lot.

But I can say that he didn't hold back with that clean cut under chin after I answered his question.

"Don't lie to me, you are simply lap dog of Danzo." A hiss of pain would have been appropriate for the situation since it actually hurt and the more time passed and blood engulfed the wound the more I felt how it burned as some drops fell on the branch that I was standing.

It wasn't a deep cut that could be dangerous in the long run, just a brutal warning from his part. Besides I could heal the wound with ease, thanks to my chakra control I was able to learn a few useful medical jutsus like the Mythical Palm, which could heal that cut without leaving a scratch. But with him alert for any sudden movement trying to heal myself would sign my death sentence.

"You possess the Sharingan, you can tell if I'm lying or not." Even with the pain my voice didn't falter thanks to that, I developed pain resistance to many type of injuries though my pain tolerance was nowhere near a Jashinist and never will; they were also a group which we fight in some occasions; we won most of battles only losing when Hidan was around.

"True, but I will not use it against trash like you." His attitude never changed, he didn't hold back his thoughts and mouth.

"That's very nice coming from you." Only to certain extent, after all he didn't need to use it to defeat me. "So I recommend you to lower your weapon, Konoha shinobi shouldn't fight each other. We are comrades after all." But also a small mistake from his part, enemies should never be underestimated, one should fight thinking that the enemy is in equal terms of strength if not stronger. Cockyness is the biggest foe of all shinobis.

"You? A comrade? Don't make me laugh." I felt venom on his voice, his hostility increasing for indirectly mocking his beliefs about comrades and friends; my situation was slowly but surely spiraling out of control but I had a contingency plan.

"Lower your weapon Hatake." I started.

"You are in no position to make any demands." I didn't need to turn around and see his face to tell that he was angry, if not insulted.

"I am perfectly aware of my position, I have no chance in beating you even without your sharingan, but I know how to exploit an advantage when I see one." After all genins can kill a seasoned jounin with deception and the surprise factor, in open combat I couldn't hope to rival him so I used deception and surprise to help me.

"What do you mean?" My fingers moved in a very slow pace.

"Nothing of importance." I already made my move, the real reason of why it was reassuring that he wasn't going to use his sharingan was that he couldn't see me pull my own trap around him. I had trained myself to do it with the minimal effort so my enemies couldn't grasp my actions before it was too late to react.

"For being a Root member you are kind of interesting." But Kakashi wasn't an enemy to my eyes, though I couldn't say the same thing on his case. Anyways that was one of the reason of why he wouldn't die.

"Thank you." The second was that I still required to to mold my chakra through hand seals to enter the second stage of my trap to turn it into a complete dead end. the moment one was caught on my second stage everything was over.

"Is a pity that you will never see the light of day ever again." His last sentence brought me amusement, which only infuriated him even more.

"Then do it Hatake, nothing is stopping you." I wouldn't say something that stupid and reckless if I didn't have something to back it up. That backup was felt right on my fingers, they clearly felt the tension on having something trapped.

He never saw it coming.

With him immobilized I was free to get away from his weapon and let myself to breath with ease, knowing that I got him was an achievement that I was very proud of. Also it ease helped me to relieve the soul crushing moment that he made me feel moments ago.

"What?!" Then he was openly struggling, his body and legs could move but his arms were totally immobilized, however that moment quickly died down as he looked directly at me with his lone narrowed eye.

"You are very skilled Kakashi but as skilled as you are always leads to arrogance no matter how humble you are." Also a mistake that I wasn't to commit again any time soon, next time I would bring Kimimaro or had a different set of traps that were near my body to at least delay an attack.

"I never thought that a Root agent could caught me off the guard again, but sadly for you I know how this technique works." I wondered for a moment who was the other agent who was able to outsmart him, perhaps Tenzo with his Mokuton but I had to stop myself from thinking the moment I saw his kunai coming straight to my face. But it was odd that I saw it coming, he totally outmatched me in speed after all.

I had to block to it nevertheless, other option would have resulted in getting myself killed. However I wasn't an idiot and only block without a counter attack of my own yet when my left hand went into action I was utterly shocked when I felt nothing coming from that place. Shock that was slowly replaced by fear when my eyes caught the reason of why I felt that my weapon wasn't working or I didn't feel at all.

He already had it on his hand examining for every little detail, I lost my weapon as the revelation felt like a shower of cold water, his last attack was meant to disarm me, it explained why his attack was slower than it should be. To force my concentration on the incoming attack as he got close to me using the momentum to take away my weapon leaving me partially unarmed. Partially because I still had a tanto on my back, but my use of the tanto was also mostly for assassination.

"I am not here to fight Hatake." Not only because I would end dead but it was unnecessary to fight, and I didn't want him to get into deep problems if he were to kill me and Hiruzen found out. And I couldn't forget the fact that I was technically weaponless; in other words defeated.

His stance didn't loosen a bit, but his gaze went toward my glove that was now on his possession, he flared his chakra on my glove and an entire web of wool threads along with my glove were set ablaze in a brm of a second.

That was my weapon.

It had similar mechanics with the chakra strings from the puppeteers of Suna, with the difference that my version was used mostly for silent assassination; I could walk up next to my target do a flicker with my finger and my target's head was already on the floor. However it was totally useless against the Byakugan or Sharingan. The only reason my trap worked was because he didn't use his sharingan either way he would have killed me without a second thought.

"Chakra strings, very similar to the puppeteers from Suna but with the difference that you used the wool as a catalyst." Only ashes remained on his hand, it took time to design and get everything right on that piece of cloth. But I had a spare one back home, and my life was far more important than a weapon.

"To so quickly deduce the workings of my weapon and get rid of it, you truly are a prodigy." It was a fact, it was a minor wish that I could become stronger than him in a short span of time so I could beat him as a petty act of revenge.

"I don't take compliments from your kind."He snarled.

"I am different." I shook my head, I didn't like how he referred to us, specially me to something that wasn't human. I was still human not a mindless monster, or at least I hoped that I had retained some of my humanity.

"Yes I noticed, but I don't want to see you ever again."

"I make no promises."I stepped back without taking gaze off him, if I were t turn my back on him there was the high possibility that he could stab me in the back or knock me for interrogation and risk to reveal my identity.

"Good because the next time I will not hesitate." He made it clear that he wanted to kill me, that curiosity that he had for me at first was already satisfied. The only remaining thing to do was to remove me from the world.

"Neither I will."

I allowed the wind to take me away as a loose group of leaves.

* * *

It was already nightfall, I should have been back at home cooking dinner for Naruto and Kimimaro but she went to celebrate with all of her friends that they passed the genin exams, said celebration was being held at the Inuzuka compound.

But I prepared dinner for Kimimaro and myself nevertheless.

Normally it should be the other way around but Kimimaro was clueless about cooking in general, at most he could boil water and prepare tea. So while I had been cooking I also took my time to teach him the basic of cooking so in a future he could be capable to prepare us a meal.

Aftermath I sat on the couch occasionally taking a sip of my tea. I wasn't doing anything more since I didn't feel like doing something different besides enjoying the flavor of tea.

However my small moment of tea was interrupted when I felt a presence behind me that came through the window, I wasn't alarmed or worried since Anbu were expected to arrive like that at any time.

But my disinterest was quickly turned in surprise when I saw that it wasn't an Anbu who came through the window but a Root agent, one that I knew very well.

"Torune?" I didn't expect him to come that day, but I should have. Being in the infamous Anbu black ops I should be expecting mission any day and at any time.

"Kichiro-san." He faintly smiled, if it were other circumstances the greetings would have gone totally different.

"Why have you come?" Perhaps it was unnecessary to ask since the answer was obvious but I did nevertheless just for the sake of asking.

"Danzo-sama wants you to come immediately to the headquarters, a mission will be assigned to us."

"Us?" I needed to know who I was going to be teamed up for the mission though I had already had an idea of who were, after all other companion could result the mission in failure or a very costly success which was also unacceptable.

"Hai; Fuu and Shin had been notified too." I was a bit surprised to hear that Shin was accompanying us too, I thought that his only companion was Sai and nobody else. Maybe he had moved on or trusted us enough to handle his condition.

If it weren't that the mission was of much importance I would have invited him to stay and share a drink or two but it never happened. However I couldn't leave without notifying Naruto, it would leave the wrong message so I quickly left a letter in case that the mission were to take more than a day.

I only hoped that it wasn't the case.

"Very well, lead the way."

Together we left through the window.

"I see everybody is here." His voice echoed through the empty room where ,y team was gathered, kneeling in respect toward their unquestionable leader. I work with Danzo but not for him; he isn't a leader to me.

"Hai!" That was our response.

"Very well, our intelligence from Kumo had reported us that **VOLT** is on the move; however our intelligence from Iwa has reported that their ninjas had been trespassing our borders." So Danzo said that we were sent to fight against **VOLT** again, at least it wasn't **MIST** or **BOULDER** , those two were really difficult to deal with. Especially with their numbers on their side.

It was common for us to fight against them but we weren't specialized for open combat, unlike Shin so maybe that was the reason of why he also had been assigned on my team.

But I still was unsure so as I was expected to do, I didn't express my opinion and let him continue.

"The situation with Iwa shouldn't be of our concern but it became our concern the moment we discovered that one of the ninja among them is the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage, your mission is to dress as Kumo shinobi and lure them towards **VOLT's** forces." The mission could be considered suicidal to normal shinobi standards, but for us that mission had a B-rank. We had the ability to pull it off and suffer little to no casualties, after all between all the black ops of the Elemental nations; we were the best.

"When they begin their fight you will capture Onoki's granddaughter and bring her here as soon as possible." Danzo last words left a bitter taste on my mouth, I didn't like the tone that he used. Though I didn't like anything about him, either way I had a good excuse to demand answers.

"Hai!" I was the only one who didn't speak.

Everybody left the room in a blink of an eye, everybody except for two souls.

I wasn't kneeling in respect anymore.

"Why haven't you leave?" His lone eye narrowed, it was clear that he disapproved of my course of action but it didn't matter to me. Also he would let it slide just like before, over the years inside **ROOT** I did many things that were prohibited if not forbidden.

Even if he was able to subdue me with only his gaze he didn't act against me.

"How does this benefit Konoha?" However I didn't try my luck more than I had already done instead I was staring to the nothingness of the monotonous room which we were in.

"You shouldn't ask questions Kichiro." I felt his piercing glare reach me, sending shivers down to my spine however learned how to control myself much better than before. Also he wasn't angry or mad, he was simply annoyed of my attitude or maybe tired.

"Perhaps, but as you see I want an answer." I was dead serious about it, yet I could understand why he didn't gave further explanation on the missions just the necessary because if one of us were to be captured then nothing would be lost to the enemy; though the seal in their tongues also worked like a charm.

If I was in a different moment and place amused, since I recalled a flaw in the seal causing it to activate instantly paralysing the victim.

" **VOLT's** strike team will be defeated at the hands of Iwa because one of the strongest Iwa shinobi is among them to ensure the Tsuchikage's granddaughter safety." He was referring to Kitsuchi, Kurotsuchi's father and also a potential candidate to take the title of Tsuchikage.

He wasn't only the strongest but one of the best of Iwa ever produced, he had a high bounty on the Bingo Books after all.

Doubts began to form in my rational train of thoughts, the minimal mistake and our entire team would be wiped out and the mission would be a failure putting Konoha on a difficult position.

"After their victory they will report back to the Tsuchikage as soon as possible and any alliance with the Raikage will be impossible." True, maybe there wouldn't be any proof of Kumo involvement but the witnesses were enough to distrust Kumo and possibly wage war.

But I still had one more question for the old war hawk.

"And Kurotsuchi?" There were only two uses for an enemy Kunoichi to be captured alive and I didn't approve one of the available options, it disgusted me to no end but I accepted it since it was part of the job. Though I was glad that I would never take part in those acts.

He stared at me for a brief moment only to walk away.

"I will determine what use she will have for us." With that said he dissapeared within the darkness, in other words he didn't decide what to do with her.

"Very well."

My only hope was that his decision wouldn't be the one which I hated the most, but that's life in ROOT.

* * *

 **AN: Well at first I was thinking to make another chapter introducing the teams and yadda yadda yadda but I realized how repetitive that is and pretty pointless so I quickly went for the scene that I had been planning.**

 **I did my best to don't make him OP like many others do, I mean that normally they manage to defeat or put Kakashi into serious trouble that he is forced to see his sharingan. Honestly he is one of the most powerful ninja I highly doubt that a genin could ever made him go serious even if he is holding back a lot. Though Kichiro is not a genin by any means I would give him medium chunin at most.**

 **Also to get a better idea of Kichiro's weapon google Walter C. Dornez from Hellsing though it will not be as powerful as his for obvious reasons.**

 **Also look at that 9 more to reach 100 follows sadly the month is already over, but i will keep the promise if it reaches 100 followers**

 **JA NE!**


	17. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:You know the drill.**

* * *

 **AN: You know? It took me awhile to realize that I was going to the same path of all the SI/OC, and well I had been thinking how to change everything I mean the storyline from this point. Though it happened since I was lost in the whole family moments that the main point of the story was almost lost but I reacted in time and well I will do my best to return where it should have gone.**

 **AnoteHazeldays: For starters thank you for point that, is far better to receive critique like yours than just saying horrible grammar or get an editor truly I appreciate it. But well English is not my native language so there are mistakes that I can't see no matter how many times I check, though other mistakes might come from my writing speed so I will take care of that and reread 10 times if necessary.**

 **KitsuneNoYomeiri:I used to write in another website and my stories have some decent popularity however even with that I couldn't find an editor to help me; and man I searched high and down for one, even a quick proofreader was acceptable but nothing. Those come with high popularity and fame which as you see there isn't much XD.**

 **Also I know that some people like canon but I thought I left it clear with the chapters that the canon will not be really respected that much, if I respected canon then Naruto would have been a boy, the hyuga incident would have been partially successful, The Kyuubi would have been an S rank secret, Danzo would have been the power hungry fool that we know and hate, etc. And the names? Well they simply fit with each village but the black ops exists in canon they simply don't have a name, for example Gaara's uncle was from Suna black ops.**

 **MyNameIsLaura: Thanks but there are better stories where the OC isn't a hero, for example 'A world full of monster' and 'Rotted Rowan'**

* * *

Darkness.

There was no light.

Yet the idea of light lingered around.

It was always there and it was enough to understand and be able to see through the thick veil of darkness.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four lights.

Wait.

Five.

Five lights.

But the last one.

The last was different.

All the lights wanted that other light.

Then I understood.

My name is KH037.

Mission lure and capture had begun.

Our brothers and sister from Volt had decided to leave the shadows from their clouds to come to our shadows because they wanted to harm the light and the never ending flame of Konoha. We weren't going to stand idle by any means; we didn't exist and would never be acknowledged but knowing that our light would be safe was enough for all of us.

However we weren't going to openly engage them, we had been tasked to use Iwa for that matter because a target had been declared and ordered to retrieve back to the tree.

Target's basic information.

Kurotsuchi, kunoichi from Iwa and granddaughter of the Sandaime Tsuchikage.

Age: 15.

Kekkei Genkai, the Yoton.

Target status, Alive and free.

The plan had already been set into motion, we were simply waiting for the Aburame agent to give us the signal to proceed with Phase one.

The night was for our advantage but that advantage could only fool the natural senses of the body, that was the reason each one of us had concealed our chakra signatures with seals to give a similar feeling from a common curious animal.

The target wasn't being protected all the time because their mission wasn't to protect her but to invade our territory for information that would cause harm in the future, it couldn't be allowed and never would.

"Ready." There was no reason for second thoughts in the matter, it was time for me to take over.

"Proceed with phase one." All of our seal came off as my strings came into action, thanks to the Aburame ability to interact with insects he moved closer my strings without the risk of being discovered. Only a flick of my fingers was needed for all the strings to find their way around the target and rend her completely immobile.

"WHAT?!" Her mouth was the only part that she could control with her own free will which did not hesitate to use to get everybody's attention within the camp. The enemy response was quick as expected, inside the parameters.

But we weren't going to stay and fight them head on or leave one of us would try to buy as much time as possible, that would be foolish and inefficient. That was why it had been decided beforehand that we would run with the bait as soon as possible.

"Bait captured." I pulled my strings back to my position dragging the target not giving a break because the minimal second the target could escape, she was a chunin and as one it was expected from her to be capable to escape unless they had their chakra disrupted.

The moment she was within our range three seals were quickly placed just above her most important tenketsu points, she didn't show any form of pain but only confusion and unrest.

Her chakra was temporary disabled making her impossible to perform the simplest of jutsus.

Then we ran.

There was much left to do.

"LET HER GO YOU BASTARDS!" Kitsuchi began the pursue for her daughter.

Foolishness.

There was no logical explanation to comply to that demand.

Foolishness.

Personal feelings shouldn't matter in the line of duty.

Foolishness.

However we were not fools.

We kept going.

We were trained to move and blend with our surroundings, their sensors couldnt find us if they tried. They weren't properly trained to discern the chakra unlike our sensors; even the Yamanaka agents were better sensors than them.

Then we heard one of the explosive seals activate at north.

That was the second signal.

We knew what each one of us were thinking at that moment, asking for confirmation was stupid and inefficient, our only purpose of existence was to follow and complete mission nothing else mattered.

That was the reason why I left our target behind.

I simply stopped channeling chakra to my strings and she fell to the ground, the fall didn't do much damage; only bruises were to be expected.

Then we blended in with our surroundings as the seals were activated again.

From our spot we watched how Iwa finally arrived at the scene and without missing a second sensors foolishly attempted to find any race of us.

"You better run you cowards!" An Iwa shinobi suddenly yelled, however he had other matter more important to attend the moment another explosive seal was set off.

Everything according to the plan.

"Phase one success."

But there were more phases yet to be completed.

"Proceed with phase two."

More explosives seals were detonated around the perimeter, however those were Lv 3.

"Phase two success." The Aburame agent gave us the confirmation.

Our brothers and sister from Kumo finally came into the scene blades ready to sent anybody who dared to oppose them to the darkness of life.

Their sacrifices to ensure our success weren't going to be forgotten.

"We are under attack!" I still didn't understand the reason of yelling the obvious instead of preparing for the oncoming reality, sometimes the human mind find other ways to surprise you.

Foolishness from my part.

The mission only matters.

"Proceed with phase three."

As expected the Aburame followed the instructions in an instant, the rest of us were waiting for him to finish.

"Ready."

It was time for me to use my strings and recover our target.

Kitsuchi should have ran away with her daughter rather than stay and fight, that wasn't the shinobi's way.

"BASTARDS!" His curses were deaf to us, it had no importance to wait and hear his useless words.

"Target captured." This time my strings were to keep our target completely immobile, she wasn't going to move an inch but even more seal were placed on her to further disrupt the flow of her chakra forcing a temporary coma.

That was planned so the transportation could be easier.

While VOLT was fighting we were taking our leave from the scene, it was no longer our concern.

"I WILL KILL YOU!" However Kitsuchi didn't give up on his personal task.

I simply signaled to our close combat specialist to feint an engagement.

And as expected, thanks to his mind clouded with emotions he fell for the trap and was left behind.

Our tasked specialist returned to our side moments later.

"Phase three success."

Silence.

The battle was over.

And yells of anguish and rage were getting closer to our position.

Our brother and sisters from VOLT left the living world as true shinobis.

"Proceed with final phase."

More traps were triggered at my signal.

However they weren't meant to kill but to confuse and cover us.

Genjutsu over genjutsu.

And bunshins going to different directions.

Moments later we didn't hear any foreign voice.

Silence.

Silence.

Good.

"Mission complete."

Then in direction towards the shadows of our tree we went.

* * *

"Remove your shinobi mask."

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Four fading lights of the same color.

And we faded in the darkness.

Then I understood.

My name is Kichiro Hasegawa a ninja from Konohagakure with many ambitions yet to be achieved.

The night was young and the starry night was a sight to behold along with Torune, Fuu and Shin.

Just like old times.

Though Sai was missing so it couldn't be said like old times since without him things were different but I guess it was okay for the time being.

But the fact that I had the future Tsuchikage on my back and probably very pissed Iwa shinobis including a very but very angry father, who only wanted to get ahold of me and grab my neck till the point it snaps didn't help the situation. So I simply decided to humor myself, I laughed to my heart content.

In some twisted way the current situation was funny.

"Well, didn't expect that it would have gone exactly as planned." According to the Nara agent that the plan were to happen exactly as planned had very low chances, like less than twenty percent. So we had more contingency plans to ensure the success and by that we waited for the Nara to finish with all the planning and then zealously memorise it.

I couldn't help but feel like it was a waste of time to learn all of that since we hadn't applied it, but that was a simple way of thinking off the young mind.

I was a teenager after all.

But unlike them I was a teenager in body but not in mind.

So they joined in my small twisted moment.

Normal people even normal shinobi could never hope to understand us.

Even if I had removed my mask I still had some remains of my Shinobi mode, I needed a full day to fully recover from it.

But in the meantime I needed a small break and our surroundings were calm and serene, all the requirements which I needed to signal my team to stop and rest.

Also to take a small snack because my stomach was killing me, I didn't properly eat since it could have affected the outcome of the mission so the only thing I ate was a very miserable ration bar that had no taste at all.

Only after Torune and Fuu went to set a perimeter did we finally stopped.

"How is Sai doing, Sempai?" Shin, recruited at very young age like everybody else and put under the brutal and inhuman training regime of ROOT, an orphan with no known family but down there he found his family.

Sai, a kid with the same story.

Taking a brief glance to his face I averted my gaze towards the sky starting my quest to count the stars that were watching us from above. His question asking for the well being of hi brother made me remember and compare it with Naruto.

I couldn't help but let a faint but sad smile appear on my face.

"He seemed fine, but I can't be exactly sure." I didn't find the opportunity to talk to him and they way Naruto told me about him just pointed that he was a social inept. All the students prefered to keep their distance from him but she also told me that he was very nice company the moment he started to draw.

"I see." Shin sounded a bit sad; thing that wouldn't do, we were supposed to be in good mood and probably even celebrate not feeling all down and emo.

So I playfully ruffled his grey hair.

"Don't worry kohai, he is with Naruto so I'm pretty sure that she will be enough to bring him back."

His smile told me enough.

It was the two of us for the moment without counting Kurotsuchi but that reminded me something very important that involved her.

"Fuu how is our charge?" I didn't need to turn around to tell that he had already finished with setting up a perimeter along with Torune. I simply knew that he was going to arrive just a he knew that I was going to ask.

"Still incapacitated." Good, that was good but I needed to know more. "I have analysed her and she will not wake up for at least three hours." Much better, it was a good thing that he was aware that I didn't like to be left with doubts about important matters.

But three hours weren't enough to reach Konoha and destroy all evidence of our involvement, as much as I disliked the idea, because it could cause some level of harm on the victim, there was no other option, more of those chakra seals and we could completely obliterate her chakra network.

Also all mission couldn't cost much money, only the essential.

A sigh came and went.

"Do what you must."

"Don't worry Kichiro, I have packed some sedatives." I was forced to turn back to look at his smiling face, I was surprised because I never expected that to happen."There is no need for me to use one of my old clan techniques."

But I should have, we were friends and we knew about each other very well.

Likes, dislikes, hobbies and dreams for the future.

I shook my head followed by another laugh.

I was relieved.

But I couldn't act like that in front of Shin for too much time, I'm his sempai after all. I needed an image to uphold after all.

The memory of the day when our sempai-kohai relationship would never be forgotten, though it wasn't a very nice memory if I might add. It was in one of those brutal training methods, we were to fight to cripple the opponent but it was a farce it was only to indoctrinate the determination to complete the objective as to increase the pain tolerance, the trainee was to fight against an older and experienced agent.

"Torune, is something strange around the perimeter?" I asked.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, it seems that we completely lost them." I was aware that we lost the Iwa forces hours ago but I couldn't be too careless, there could be scouts moving around. Perhaps it was too farfetched to think that possibility because we were deep in the fire country and any unauthorized mobilization would be considered as an act of war.

However with BOULDER and MIST lurking around one couldn't be too confident.

We considered that possibility with the Nara agent so that was the reason we also had a contingency plan for that matter.

"That's good." Normally I would have used a weak version of the Renga no Jutsu, so we could have somewhere to sit and rest but II didn't want to to risk the possibility that a sensor could detect us, either enemy or ally.

So we opted to sit on the grass.

Though I couldn't lie that the option of sitting on Kurotsuchi's body was appealing or using her as a pillow.

"Have you eaten something?"

"Hai!"

Another sigh left my lips, I should have expected that immediate answer.

"I meant real food." I clarified.

They didn't say anything instead they shook their heads in unison.

My hand went to my belt to retrieve one of the storage scrolls but found nothing, it was missing. Both my heart and mind went overdrive for for the incessant worry that it felt; if the enemy were to find it then they would be able to connect the dots and point Konoha as the sole responsible.

I made a terrible mistake.

And I felt the world crash around me.

But then I remembered something very important that at the same wasn't _that_ important.

I was wearing standard shinobi gear from Kumo.

The scrolls were on the back along with all the equipment, silly me.

Getting the correct scrolls and unsealing all the food we had our well deserved break.

Next stop Konoha.

* * *

 **AN: Oh well this one was mostly to introduce Kichiro as a ROOT agent and the difference between the two, though at first I had been thinking that this would be the first fight scene but then I opted against the idea, after all they needed to complete a mission as quick and efficient as possible fighting would have put the mission at stake.**

 **Also OMG 100 follows finally! :'D Now onto the 100 favs :p**

 **JA NE!**


	18. Chapter 19

_**Disclaimer: Perhaps in an alternate dimension all of us could be the owner of Naruto but on this dimension that thing isn't happening any time soon. (Never happening so don't get your hopes up :'( )**_

* * *

I should have go with Naruto first and tell her that I was back so she would stop worrying about me but I didn't because of the silent tomboy girl who was in front of me, completely ignoring me mind you.

"I would really appreciate if you didn't remain silent."

It wasn't bad place, is more it actually looked pretty comfy for a nap.

"Seriously what do you need?"

Not like a 5 stars hotel but more like 2 stars hotel but that wasn't the point. A bed with many sheets and two pillows and a window with a nice view of the village.

"Come on! This is getting boring."

Though the bathroom topic was different since there was no toilet on the same place so probably she needed to move to another room for take care of that business.

"I will give you a candy!"

But those arrangements are the best that could be given to prisoners, it was the best treatment possible since the prisoner had that cell then he or he would not have to face the torture session with the facade of interrogations and not only that but they were also guaranteed that they would be free after a certain amount of time so she shouldn't complain that much.

She should be thanking us, specially me.

But sometimes you only need to cross the line.

"Can't be helped it seems that you people from Iwagakure are just uncivilized and dirty bunch of cavemen." A very common insult for the people from Iwa, just like they call us Tree huggers, though ours is more offensive than theirs.

"Take that back asshole!" It was very quick her response, she might not be able to use chakra but her natural speed is to be taken seriously, I would have flinched from the surprise if I wasn't awaiting that kind of reaction from her part.

Also one couldn't forget that there were many metal bars creating a line between us.

"Now you are talking." I smirked as her glare hardened on me, and one couldn't forget the release of KI on the room which didn't affect me in the slightest it was a joke the amount of KI she was releasing.

The best comparison that came up in mind was an annoying mosquito which didn't know when to give up.

But I couldn't hold the cocky attitude with her if I wanted good relations with her, as it was stated before she wouldn't be interrogated so I couldn't become one. I simply wanted to speak with her and try to befriend her.

You know more friends the better, but friends who are in high places that's beyond better.

"Sorry about the last part, I just want to talk." The apologize really tried to be genuine but the way it was said sounded more like I was further mocking her which didn't help that much.

"Wow, what a great way to start." After snarling back she diverted her focus and prefered to lay on her bed, probably doing her best to ignore that I was even there.

"Not the best but it did the job, didn't it?"

Silence.

I sighed.

"Okay I understand." And I meant it, anybody would be very pissed in her position no matter what benefits they had. Also I was going to lay down the jokes or the slight offenses, I wanted to start with the right foot that time.

"What do you want?" She spoke without bothering to look at my direction.

"I've already told you, I just want to talk." And probably discuss about certain things about life and the almighty one who was watching us from above.

"Oh great! You talked now scram." That was quick from her part.

"So how are you doing?" My question caused her to sit up and look at me with a face filled with cheerful attitude; one didn't need to be a genius to tell that she was being sarcastic.

"Oh I don't know, I guess being kidnapped by Kumo only to wake up in Konoha's cells can be considered good, right?" And she dropped on the bed once again.

I the pinched my nose releasing another sigh, trying to vent the growing frustration with her. "You are making this difficult."

It made me wonder why I even bothered to convince the old geezer to let her go, right she was going to become the yondaime Tsuchikage she had many uses for that fact alone. And I wouldn't like to deal with guilt that I left her to be constantly... to produce a new bloodline for the village.

The thought alone gave me a bad taste in my mouth.

"Really? Then nothing is stopping you from leaving." And she signaled the door which was conveniently near her cell.

I was about to retort but hold my tongue in the last minute, followed by another sigh which ended with me rubbing my temples with boths hands.

"Anyways my name is Kichiro Hasegawa, yours?" The smile was forced but I hoped that she wouldn't notice, which she didn't because her focus was at the nothingness of her small room, the dull roof.

"Fuck off."

I should have brought Kimimaro with me so he would have taught her place, but thinking the idea again it would have ended badly for her. Kimimaro would have cut her tongue in an instant.

"That's a very weird name." So I just relied on myself like always, I had a few tricks under my sleeve to get under people's skin.

"Hey, Fuck off." I called.

She ignored me obviously but I wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Hey, Fuck off."

She sat up as her pink eyes tried to pierce my mental defenses, which was funny because as I said before Danzo's only functional eye can force a weak willed person to commit suicide in an instant.

"Hey, Fuck off."

And that was the last straw for her.

"Kurotsuchi! My name is Kurotsuchi!" Both hands clenched on the metal bars hoping to somehow be able to bend them and get out so she could give some of her own justice on me. With her Yoton it could have been possible but without chakra she could only rely on her physical strength which there wasn't that much.

Very logical from her part to give up in trying before embarrasing more in front of me.

"Happy now?!" She looked away while crossing her arms.

"No, but I will come back when you are in much better mood because right now you are kinda annoying." My words only held true, my frustration and irritation were quickly building up and to sum things up, I wasn't going to take more of her bullshit anymore.

"Asshole."

I was the one who ignored the other this time, I simply walked toward the door without turning back because there was no reason to do so and there were better things to do than dealing with a stubborn idiot.

Once the door behind me was closed and opted to take deep breaths which would help me t vent some frustration and the most important thing, relax.

The whole mission and the conversation with Danzo gave me a lot of stress and I didn't want to return to square one just for her, she wasn't worth all that future problems.

"Kichiro." I could recognize that voice from miles away, not literally speaking of course.

"Oh, Hokage-sama." I turned my head so he could see my smile and the joy of seeing him again after considerable amount of time, I could also tell that he was happy to see me again since my position was a very dangerous one and every mission could be the last one.

But something I was aware was that I wasn't expendable, I had a lot of value and Danzo wouldn't let me go that easily; fact that both always relieved me and worried me at the same time.

"Normally I don't ask questions but what was the purpose of bringing the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage?" He brought a good point, only for his case since he wasn't aware of the real intentions of her capture. I loved the fact that I didn't have a seal on my tongue that restricted me from speaking, so I could always discuss with him a few things and situations. But with moderation, I was going to uphold my end of the promise of not reveal too much information; it was for the best.

"About that…" It wasn't a very long explanation but it was a very good summary not leaving any important point out, objective and reasons those two were enough for Hiruzen to understand my mission and deduce the rest. "And I had to convince Danzo from not doing something really stupid."

Hiruzen sighed, which wasn't that common coming from him and I couldn't exactly tell why he did it. But it didn't matter that much, after all the light and the shadow mind their own business.

"Let me guess, he wanted to use her as a sleeper agent, didn't he?" I looked at him for a brief moment in utter silence, that was one of the many options available that Danzo had been thinking and I had been discussing with him.

"That was one option." I was serious, I probably spent 3 hours discussing about what to do with Kurotsuchi and after the little chat I had with her made me wonder again if it was really worth the effort. Danzo saw my way of thinking but I couldn't say that he was one hundred percent satisfied with it, which led me to feel a bit paranoid of what he could do in retaliation against me.

"Oh, _that_ one." His eyes became somber, his tone told me enough. Those topics weren't going to be mentioned between us, it was sick but also common and a logical thing to do since we were in a militaristic village; Danzo was logically correct by choosing that option but in the moral part was completely wrong.

"Yup." I merely nodded.

"Well I'm glad that it didn't happen." Perhaps he was saying the true with that last statement, but as the Hokage he would do some questionable acts for the betterment of the village and it would be perfectly understandable, well only for the people who had a far better insight of the situation or had faced similar situations before.

I smirk crossed my face.

"However now is your job to negotiate terms with Iwa." It was true but I also said to lift up the mood, it was getting kinda grim.

"Don't remind me, Onoki can be a very stubborn man, even more with us." He looked a bit annoyed but it was totally fake, he was amused of my commentary.

"But he isn't a fool." I added.

"True, he wouldn't dare to risk a war now that he has no allies." He patted my back. "Your mission really was a success." I would have agreed with him, instead I shook my head.

"What mission?" I asked appearing a bit confused of his question that supposedly didn't have any sense, after all I never left the village; the records of missions stated that after all.

"Exactly."

And we shared a moment of careless laughing.

"By the way Kichiro, the publishing house has finally released your book." That caught me off the guard, it was so sudden that made me stop at the very moment. Leaving me with mouth agape, I was surprised not shocked but in the good way, normally it takes more time to publish since there are certain procedures that a new book from a new author must undergo; but Hiruzen might had had a hand in that.

And I was grateful for that.

"Really?"

I was taller than him but there wasn't much difference, probably between 1 or 2 inches. But that didn't stop him from ruffling my hair like I always did with Naruto's.

"He admires your imagination and believes that your book will be the next big hit in the stores." His words only brought more joy to me, to hear so positives things and it wasn't even published yet. However I should feel disgusted for obvious reasons which involve copyrights, but I didn't care. It was a secret that nobody would ever hear which I would take it to the tomb.

"Yes!" But none of that, money was soon to fill my pockets.

But a single thought crossed my mind that worried me.

"Wait, he didn't change anything right?" Sometimes editors do that kind of things without telling the author because he or she would definitely be against it, and my (not really) story needed to be exactly as I wrote it or it would lose its magic.

"Don't worry about that." He quickly replied.

"Oh well, it was nice and all but I need to go and see Naruto." I had spent too much time in the village without telling her, she needed to know that I was back and safe. Though I could have told somebody to notify her off my arrival but I didn't have anybody to do so.

Anyways, it was a while since I messed with her a bit or teased her.

Without hesitation I went towards the nearest open window and large enough so my body could pass without problems, it was a bad habit of mine. Doors are for p… I ean doors are simply too overused after all.

"Send her my regards."

"Will do."

And like that I was already jumping roof on roof.

* * *

I was an idiot or just careless person about certain things.

It took me awhile to realize that I didn't know where Naruto was to begin with, it was embarrassing since it was highly probable that people saw me jumping around without any lead.

I should engrave on my head to ask directions before moving.

But I solved that problem by asking Kimimaro who I conveniently found exiting a shop with groceries bags. He told me that she was at the Third Training Grounds with her team, obviously doing some training with their sensei.

Of course I was skeptical about the idea of encountering Kakashi again, he didn't know of my identity but it would be very uncomfortable for me which I believe he would notice and ask questions which I would rather avoid answering.

And I couldn't forget the fact that he failed my team, though I was the sole responsible for that one.

But my point stands anyways.

Trees and more trees.

And a clear terrain where three logs stood tall.

And a a very well know blonde head sticking out of the ground.

"Wow, I mean...wow…" I was expecting to find Team 7 training together, either team exercises or friendly spars not just to find the head of Naruto who also looked pretty pissed at the fact that she was buried for a reason that I was completely unaware.

But her demeanour changed the moment her blue eyes caught sight of me.

"Do something!" And here I was waiting for an emotional welcoming speech and how much she missed me, but one couldn't always get what he wanted.

"Okay just give me a moment." I was glad that my primary affinity was earth so the process would be far more easier to do, but since there were no good place to grab her except for her head or hair it complicated things a bit. Molding chakra for earth transformation did not took time, so I simply buried my hands to the place where her shoulder should be, my chakra connected with hers in symphony and like that her body regained mobility, moment she took and straight jumped out of the hole she was in.

"There we go." A flawless way to save somebody from the Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu, there was not even a disturbance on the ground left.

I was glad that she was wearing the old sportive clothes, it would have been a drag if she stained the new ones. Everything was colored brown and filled with dirt, she probably had some dirt under her clothes I could easily tell just at looking how she was wiping everything around her and even sneaking her hand under her clothes.

And then she punched me right on the stomach.

" **BAKA!** "

"Ouch, why the punch?" I didn't hurt that much but it did left me gasping for air, for being a little girl she really packed a punch with her. No offense in that statement of course.

"Never do that again!"

"Do _what?_ " I asked.

"Leaving without telling me!" She crossed her arms, it was clear that she was mad at me. Not completely angry to the point of giving me the cold treatment but still mad enough to punch me on the gut. I understood her but that doesn't mean that I would agree with her, violence is not the solution at everything.

I felt like an hypocrite for that line of thought.

"I left a note." And I was pretty sure that she read it, if not then she probably would have left our home trashed, even with Kimimaro help or I would have received a bill of cleaning costs. I wasn't saying that she was completely irresponsible, just that she liked the easy way out in certain aspects. It was like, why cook if we can have other to cook for us?

Something between those lines.

"Is not the same."I quickly pulled her into a hug for two reason.

One; she needed one.

Two; I really wanted to hug her again and the situation gave me the perfect opportunity to do so.

"You must understand that I have shinobi's duties." I calmly told her the truth as I felt the caring pressure around me.

"I know, it just I would have liked that you told me in person." It was hard to hear what she said since she spoke without removing herself from me, not that I minded.

"I was going to but you were celebrating with your friends, I couldn't just appear and ruin your fun." I replied, to add that it would tag me as the bad guy from the movie if I were to arrive and be all buzzkill.

She deserved happiness after all.

"I wouldn't have minded." She mumbled.

No, I was going to accept that lie. To lie to herself about very important matters, not anymore.

"Don't lie." I broke the hug and put her an arm's length in front of me looking directly at her blue eyes showing how serious I was at the moment, I wasn't going to let that go until it was completely solved.

"Just don't do that ever again." She said in a pleading tone.

What I would give to make that possible.

"I can't promise you that, but I will do my best." As a member of Root I had more missions that the common shinobi and I couldn't tell when the next would arrive though I could reject the missions depending of the circumstances or what the mission was about, I didn't reject the mission because it was Kurotsuchi a very important person for the shinobi world. If it was a nameless guy or gal then I wouldn't bothered at all.

"Thanks." With a big smile her old happy self returned in an instant, and my reply was to ruffle her hair with my own smile as well.

Problem solved.

But later we were going to discuss about suddenly hitting me, that was very rude from her part, words would have sufficed since I was a very understandable person and a good listener.

"Moving on, why were you buried?" Returning to the original topic, I had an idea of why she was buried but it was confusing since Naruto didn't have earth affinity in the first place, from what I could remember normal genin were trained with to learn to transform their chakra into their respective elements. They didn't learn how to do an elemental jutsu because there were risks, for example if the Suidan no jutsu were to be done incorrectly then the person would die drowned.

I could remember a few unlucky ones back at the training, one set himself on fire, the other destroyed her arm and one shocked himself to death.

"Kakashi-sensei is a jerk." Her angry pout told me how displeased she was with Kakashi, honestly I couldn't tell who wasn't displeased with Kakashi in general. He always arrive three or more hours late, he is lazy rivaling the Nara's laziness, he had no shame; in other words he rad porns in front of the everybody.

And a jerk according to Naruto.

"He did this?" There was only one answer to that question, but even if I was one hundred percent sure that he was the perpetrator of the act I wanted the confirmation from her part.

And she nodded.

"Yup, he said that it was a good way to learn elemental transformation."

"Well it is, the very easy one." Perhaps he was training her to learn how to escape from earth binding jutsus, it was good and necessary for the battlefield, though I would have preferred that she were learning about her elemental affinity first.

"You call that easy?!" She pointed where she used to be buried, a blank space with no trace of a hole.

"Yeah, he could have buried you head first and laugh as you flail your legs in despair when air starts to fault you." I couldn't exactly blame him if he were to do that, I would also do it except that I would bring others to see and laugh along me.

Don't judge me, it wasn't cruel. It was common occurrence between senseis to gain some pleasure in torture/training their cute little genins, it was a good way to deal with the stress that their combined antics caused.

"That's...that's something he would do." She admitted defeat, cute. Since when she had a chance to ever hope to somehow defeat him?

However there was something odd about our situation which I noticed the moment of my arrival but didn't bring it up because it wasn't the first thing to do on my priority list.

"But where is your team?" Only Naruto was present and it wasn't time for lunch yet.

Again the blonde mumbled something that I couldn't hear except for the last part.

"Those jerks left me."

My eyes widened at that.

"Really?" I couldn't believe that, or I didn't want to believe that. Kakashi wasn't that kind of guy, though if my memory serves me right he actually did leave Naruto tied to the post; probably to teach him a lesson so at the matter of hand he might had left her for teach her a lesson which I didn't know. Perhaps she had been hiding something

"Not really, we were waiting for her to stop playing and actually leave that hole." A new voice came from behind, of course I turned to greet the newcomers or better said newcomers, in plural.

Sasuke Uchiha and Sai came into scene.

"Shut it teme!" She was quick to reply, though I had to hide my smile since I couldn't show that I condone that attitude of hers even if the other end was that little prick. But I was also hoping that she would punch him.

"Hn, dobe." I also had to hide my displeasure for insulting her, I couldn't show favoritism though I had already did but for other thing which didn't involve Team 7 at all. But something was for sure, when the opportunity were to present itself I would beat the shit out of him and vent all the anger that I had against him.

It was wrong to judge him so quickly and for things that could potentially happen but I couldn't care less about it, I simply wanted to cause him a lot of pain.

"Oh! Kichiro-sempai!" And Sai broke me out of my train of thought in a very but really bad way, specially in front people that shouldn't have heard us in the first place.

If only glares could kill.

Wait…

They could but I didn't have that ability yet.

"Hey...Sai-kohai." I wanted, I really wanted to be angry at him but when I tried I found myself unable to do so, Sai was simply broken. And well; I really understood his situation since I almost broke that time as well.

"You know each other?" And Naruto had to ask the question that I really wanted to avoid at all cost, I simply couldn't lie to her since the guilt would be too much for to bear but thanks to the pale boy who was currently smiling; fake one if I might add, I had to answer relatively with honesty.

"Don't, I will explain." I stopped him from speaking, he had already done enough damage.

I had to think for a moment about how to go with the answer, I couldn't reveal too much not only because of the promise but also that Naruto would speak with Kakashi about the topic and Hiruzen but the latter wasn't really a worry since he already knew about it so my primary concern was Kakashi. Even more that he promised that he would slit my throat the next time we see each other.

"Remember that special program that I spoke?" I began.

She nodded and looked at me with expectant eyes, just as Sasuke while Sai was blankly staring at the scene; thankfully without that stupid smile of his. Probably he understood that he screwed up, a big one.

"Well he was also part of it." I pointed at Sai who blinked in response.

"WHAT?!" Naruto was shocked by the sudden revelation unlike Sasuke who simply looked away with his nose high in the air, typical Uchiha attitude not accepting that somebody around their age could be more skilled than them. I wondered for a moment how much of his abilities he let himself to show.

"Yep, by the way Shin send his regards." I quickly added.

"I'm happy to hear that." And he smiled.

He smiled for real.

"Oh my kami, that's a real smile!" Naruto shouted as pointing an accusing finger at him.

I couldn't help but to release a very long and tired sigh.

"Really Sai?" I asked, just by judging Naruto's reaction I was able to deduce that he had been that for a very long time, and probably what she told me time ago was a very short summary of what really happened at the academy.

"I read in a book that smile is a good way to greet others." His reply caused me to pinch the bridge of my nose.

"When is natural not forced…" The act of smiling is one that shouldn't be taken lightly, it had many meanings and it mattered in real life either for social situations or missions. For example; Kimimaro's smiles really hold a lot of meaning behind them and they weren't common.

"That's what I told him." She agreed with me.

"If I remember correctly, you didn't told me that instead said that my smile is weird if not creepy." And Sai had to speak the blunt truth of the situation, at least I knew that he never lied but before he knew about holding his tongue and after the incident he was a complete social inept; in other words he didn't know what was to hold his thoughts.

"Is the same thing!" She childishly whined.

"Is not the same, dobe." Sasuke had to insult her again, adding more frustration to me.

"Nobody asked you teme!" And they were going to start with their childish acts in front of me, somebody who was mature enough to know that childish bickering was a waste of time and breath, for both parties; the kids and the adult who had to deal with the situation.

"Naruto, stop." As much as I would have liked to shut Sasuke first I couldn't, Naruto was my responsibility so I had to shut her first and show the example to the rest.

Also to demonstrate who was the one in charge of the situation.

No immaturity while I was around.

"Sorry." Her saddened face almost made me regret to be harsh on her but it needed to be done, she was stubborn and she would have stayed in the same attitude until Sasuke accepted her truth which was never going to happen.

"Anyways, where is Kakashi?" Since the entire team was gathered but without their sensei ten that could only mean that he left or he was sticking around, I was hoping that it was former.

"Dunno, you should ask him." She shrugged.

I was confused by her answer, if he wasn't around why shoud ask him where he was in the first place? That didn't make any sense.

"What?"

However her finger right pointed at me, or better said what was behind me.

"Yo Kichiro it has been a long time, hasn't it?" The voice, a very calm and lazy voice but combined with a bit of cheerful attitude who only one person used all the time. I didn't need to turn around just to tell who was behind me, or to give a further explanation.

And all words left me.

Well _almost_ all words left me.

Just one remained.

Shit.

 **SHIT.**

 ** _SHIIIIIIIT!_**

"Yeah, it was..." I didn't want to face him, or ever again. But the reality forced me to look at him, to directly face himmm to properly speak face to face like it was supposed to be, but just to try to humor myself our meeting was actually face to half face since he was always wearing a mask and his hitai-ate; so I was facing a lone happy eye.

I simply stood there between them, all the attention on me which I didn't like at all. I was really doing a big effort to remain calm and serene but I could feel drops of sweat on my forehead and my neck slowly sliding down. My breaths slowly lost their serene rhythm but that wasn't something they would have noticed right away so it wasn't that important for the moment, well Kakashi would have minded.

I had a good control of my emotions, only when I had the shinobi mask on.

Without it, controlling them was hard and I needed to be mentally prepared to do so. Of course, I didn't come prepared like before. And trying to regain control would have been a tedious task.

Kakashi just looked at me a little longer and clapped both hands together with his trademark eye smile. "That reminds me, kids go home today's training is over." Then he pulled out his orange book, his porn if you didn't know.

"Wait really?" Naruto spoke in representation of the whole team.

Kakashi didn't bother to look at her way. "Yep, just come tomorrow at 7." And he passed to the next page.

Sasuke and Sai politely said their goodbyes and walked away, unlike Naruto who gave me another hug and left waving her hand in the process.

"Bye Kakashi-sensei, bye Onii-chan!" I also waved my hand with a very forced and painful smile on my face, to another person it looked like I was looking at her direction but in reality my right eye was carefully analysing Kakashi waiting for him to do something against me.

However his gaze solely remained on the book as he was resting on one of the three wooden pillars.

That attitude gave me a very uncomfortable feeling, I prefered the one which he was openly hostile against me because it was more predictable.

So I took a very deep breath and began to walk away.

I really didn't want to risk anything.

"Well I will be going now." And I gave the first steps toward my very needed tactical retreat.

However I was frozen solid the moment I felt a hand firmly grasp my right shoulder, as it guided me back to my beginning point, I never felt him coming.

"Where do you think you're going my cute little rootling?" He said with a more serious tone.

One.

Two.

Three.

No, I couldn't. If he really wanted me death he would have already done so instead of just forcing me to look at him.

I took a deep breath again to calm my nerves, then I narrowed my eyes as my hand went to one of my pouches ready to use a kunai if things were to go south. But other hand also went to my back ready to unsheathe my tanto.

I was preparing myself to fight despite I had theorized that Kakashi didn't want to fight, just a precaution.

"Really, are you gonna use _that_ nickname?"

He shrugged and started to read his porn ignoring the fact that I was ready to strike, act that only put even more on edge.

He gave an over exaggerated shrug of his shoulders not bothering to look at me, again. My eye twitched in growing irritation, as my hand grip on the shaft of my tanto became tighter.

"I don't know, I like the sound of it." He moved to the next page.

His attitude made me question about my own attitude, he was all relaxed and carefree because he was perfectly sure that if I were to attack he would easily overpower me and kill me or just knock me out cold.

"How did you know?" I asked loosen a bit the grip on both my tanto and kunai, I wasn't going to completely lower my guard but at least I was going lower the tension between us or at least the tension that I had. I watched how Kakashi passed to the next page only to bend the tip of said page and close the book with one hand while he put it one of his many pockets of his clothes.

"I must admit you are good in covering your tracks but Pakkun had been trained for those cases." His attitude changed again but it wasn't for the worst, it was mostly showing particular interest for my answer.

I eyed him for brief moment searching for any indication that he was going to attack me but after I found none I replied. "He must have a very talented nose to discern my scent."

I was aware of Kakashi summoning contract so I used combined a lot of scents in my gear enough to confuse the Inuzuka and their ninken, I never expected that Pakkun could be that good of a tracker.

"Of course he has." He remarked probably a smirk under his mask.

I still had many doubts but my stance loosened even more than before, I didn't feel safe but a bit more relaxed than before; I wasn't that tense anymore. He wasn't going to kill me but to simply speak with me about something very important, I wasn't exactly in the mood of a casual conversation.

But in the way he was resting on that piece of wood told me enough that it might be a long time before I could leave the training ground.

"So? What happens now?" I crossed my arms as I raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Now?" He said faking a bit of ignorance of the subject.

"Yes, I'm waiting." I said sternly because I wasn't for any kind of game or bullshit.

But I was surprised again when he simply sat on the ground resting his back on the pillar.

"Sit with me Kichiro." He motioned his hand next to him, in a very friendly manner.

But I knew that deception was the most powerful weapon of a ninja, everything that was happening could be a simple scheme to get me without resistance.

I shook my head in disagreement. "Umm, I will pass I like my personal space after all."

Kakashi didn't find it funny but he chuckled in amusement nevertheless, probably it reminded him of something or it was completely different reason that I didn't know. Either way it didn't stop him from keep trying.

"You can never be too confident right?" He looked at me again but this time his eye held another thing, it wasn't hostility or curiosity but the sadness of life, the eye that went though a lot of things across the road of life yet remained strong.

I remained silent.

"Look, I know and I understand." He said.

I almost choked the moment those two words left his lips, but only the 'know' word affected me, because it was the know that I know everything about you.

My whole body went rigid for a moment, as if I was showered with cold water.

"Explain." My glare hardened on him, awaiting a full explanation because I hated to be left in the wait for very important things.

His eye never left me until he gave a very long and sorrowful sigh.

"Kichiro the moment I discovered that you joined Root, I felt like shit." He finished looking at the ground.

I prepared myself for anything, ready to block any kind of attack from his part.

Hardened and calm mind.

A weapons ready to be used.

But he threw to the ground with words that weren't even meant to harm me in any way.

I couldn't describe how stunned I was.

"What?"

I was simply staring at him with wide eyes forgetting everything that just went through my head. I t was simply too farfetched to believe or to take in, Kakshi the very same man who threatened to kill me if I were to appear again was telling me his regrets about me. Like he was apologizing for something.

"I felt like it was my fault...that I did something wrong." He looked down, the heavy aura of regret hanging around.

"But you didn't do anything." I quickly injected from my spot where I fell on my rear, my legs felt weak at the moment but it was because the sudden shock I felt. It would take me awhile to fully recover and be on my feet again.

"Exactly, I should have stopped you that day and demand answers rather than just watch you sabotage your own team." He looked at me.

But I diverted my gaze away."It was my decision Kakashi."

"Yes I know, but it didn't make me feel any better." He replied with his own reason.

Of course he would feel guilty to some extent, he blamed himself for many things and didn't let go the past unlike me who opted to bury it deep inside the coffins of my minds as some kind of bad thing that should be left alone.

"You shouldn't concern yourself with such trivial matters." I was telling him for both reasons, to stop plaguing himself with the guilt and to drop the topic. Sadly I was sure that my words didn't change anything at all.

"But I'm doing it nevertheless."

I sighed.

"Back to ROOT topic…" I left it hanging.

He scratched the back of his head. "Right, as you see I immediately brought the topic to the Hokage."

I received another blow, it was expected that he would speak with Hiruzen that a Root agent was living with Naruto and probably manipulating her to their beliefs. But if he had already told Hiruzen then why he didn't say me anything?

Perhaps it wasn't that relevant to me?

"And?"

I waved my hand circles giving the approval to continue.

"And who would have guessed that it was actually an undercover mission." What he said next made me shot up my head with eyes wide as plates, I almost shouted in surprise but stopped myself as I was silently hoping that maybe he didn't saw my sudden change of attitude. It would have drawn suspicious.

I wanted to thank him so much again for everything that he had done for me.

But also I couldn't stop thinking about how much Hiruzen had been helping me and Naruto; but Naruto was for obvious reasons but for me the reasons weren't that clear, it was too much kindness from his part.

Too much.

Simply too much.

People aren't too kind without reasons, that wasn't how the world moved.

Did he love me as his grandson too?

Maybe, or that was what I wanted to believe?

Hiruzen was a great man, loved by everybody...and feared by his enemies.

He was very kind or benevolent ruler.

It simply didn't work that way no matter how much you wanted to believe otherwise, the reality is one and only one.

He was light, what if I blinded myself for staring at it?

So I recalled what Danzo told me years ago.

That Hiruzen was aware of me, he of me and could recognize my eyes just like he did.

Danzo was very blunt with his words but he could have twisted them for his own benefits, everybody simply had their own hidden agenda just like me.

So I opted to ask me a question only for myself hoping that other could answer for me.

Was I being used in secret?

"That's really brave from your part Kichiro, to go through that hell so you could bring it down from the inside."

It was my own question and only I should answer it yet I couldn't.

I couldn't simply go and ask him if he had ulterior motives with me, it was the most stupid thing to do and if my assumptions were correct then what would happen next?

What would he do?

What would happen to me?

And most important…

What would happen to Naruto?

"I'm also happy that they never managed to completely broke you and that you aren't an emotionless husk."

I didn't know.

Perhaps I was overthinking facts that shouldn't in the first place.

If I recalled correctly Hiruzen cared a lot for Naruto, right?

He... he cared for me, right?

"I don't want to talk about it."

I really didn't want to talk about anything at the moment, what I just realized was simply too much to actually understand something, to process it was difficult and a burden very heavy on my shoulders.

Perhaps Danzo simply was messing with my head hoping that one day I would sit and think what I was currently thinking.

I didn't trust him.

So why did I suddenly decided to trust that moment?

I wanted to change things to my liking for selfish reasons, after all who didn't dream for once to be atop of everything?

Sometimes you just needed to let things happen, to do not interfere.

Because it was it was supposed to be, it was very counterproductive because nothing was written in stone. But by not acting I was acting, acting by not acting; a valid answer.

It might hurt, but it would pass with the time.

And like always I would bury that and forget about it.

"I understand, I could even say that you are a hero for doing this."

Heh, heroes don't exist in this world.

Only humans.

" **Don't** say that ever again."

I had others things to take care of, and Naruto was one of them. She might be hungry for some of my cooking after all or maybe she brought some friends and needed help to arrange a few things.

It was time to go home.

Kakashi?

He didn't say anything, he simply stayed over there watching me leave. Maybe he said something to stop me but I didn't care at that point, and if he wanted to tell me something important he would have acted to stop me.

Me?

I didn't look back.

* * *

 **AN: Kinda dark ending right? As much as I hate it to admit, there isn't really a perfect world everything happens for a good reason. Is kinda pessimistic way of thinking so I will not dive much into it.**

 **I must say that I should have expected that there would be somebody who would un-follow just for the lols, I mean I would also do the same when somebody is celebrating a milestone, like OMG GUYS 1000 FOLLOWS THANKYOU, so I unfollow so the dude only has 999. XD**

 **Anyways as promised I have the omake.**

 _ **OMAKE 1: The forbidden entry.**_

Many medicals tents were around as many people laying on the ground or at least on a blanket knocked out cold or moaning so loud that the entire world could hear their suffering. But Kichiro was one of them, he was standing fully functional and healthy but he was dumbfounded of what he was witnessing.

Since he couldn't remain in that position he slapped his face very hard to force a wake up from him.

He needed to act and he did by walking with an unconscious Kakashi across the people who were constantly mumbling the words ' _too much'_ or ' _too hot'._

He needed answers but he didn't find any medic-nin or civilian to actually ask.

"Naruto!" However he had the luck to find a blonde girl who was giving orders to her clones who were devotedly working on moving people from point A to point B and vice versa.

"Onii-chan!" She was quick to react and ran to him quite happy and concerned.

"Naruto what the heck is happening?!" He opened his arms to give emphasis to his question but he forgot that he had a person on his back, who fell with a hard thud on the ground.

Not like it was actually felt or noticed by said person.

"I was about to ask the same question!"

She looked agitated and the way her hair looked, one could tell that she had been working without stop for a long while.

A clone walked up close to them and grabbed Kakashi and started to drag him away. "Hey boss where do I put him?"

Naruto scratched the back of her head as she looked around for a spot for her sensei.

"Umm, right over there with the rest." She pointed a small pile of people.

"Okay!"

Kichiro simply looked how the clone dragged Kakashi and threw him with the rest like a ragdoll, he was wide eyes along with his jaw. Without answer he really couldn't place what the fuck was happening in the first place.

"Naruto why the clones?" He was practically shouting, not like anybody would mind another one shouting around either nonsense or actual useful information.

The Jinchuuriki opened her mouth only to close it, she gave a quick scan to her surroundings and started to play with her hair, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Well, I found many people passed out on the streets so I brought them to the hospital."

Another group of clones walked past them and threw the unconscious people creating another pile, Kichiro couldn't tell if Naruto didn't know about the risk of piling u people or simply it was the best way to minimize the occupied space since the entire field looked cramped.

But something was for sure is that between the group he noticed a certain and unmistakable short dark blue hair along with with a very red face.

"Wait a minute is that Hinata?" He pointed at the new arrivals.

Naruto turned for a moment to check and nodded in agreement.

"Oh, yeah is Hinata-chan."

It took her exactly one second to snap her eyes open and ran towards her newly revealed friend. " **Hinata-chan!"**

Kichiro followed close.

Once there together they pulled out the unconscious Hyuuga girl who was red as a tomato, eyes in form of swirls, two trails of blood coming from her nose and a very but very perverted grin.

And for the final touch a bit of drool.

"By the looks she will not wake up for a while."

Before Naruto could ask her own question, one of her clones caught their attention.

"Boss we have another group!"

Both adopted siblings turned their heads and fell to the ground face first as if something very heavy feel on their heads.

"Oh my god…"

The Narutos were dragging the bodies of their friends and acquaintances.

"Even the Hokage is with them…"

Both of them started to hyperventilate.

 **"I QUIT!"**

Only to be stopped by a very angry voice which not too far away from their position.

They ran to the sources and found out that the owner of that very angry yet feminine voice was the head of the entire medical staff of the hospital, and following her close was the entity medic staff.

"Shit." He cursed as jumped in front of them hoping to stop them and try to come up with a excuse to stay and work on the poor people who were affected by something, which was yet to be revealed.

"Hey! What's the matter with you?!" Naruto was angry at the scene, and how could she not? They were supposed to take care of the people in need not to abbandon them in their moment of need.

The woman pinched the bridge of her nose as she spoke. "Every year, every single fucking year we have to deal with this…" She slammed her heel on the ground. "This mess!"

"Every year?"Naruto tilted her head to the right looking confused.

"We are sick of it!" A random medic shouted from the crowd increasing the flames of displeasure of the medics.

"If this is a common occurrence, then what is wrong with them?" Kichiro was waiting for an answer, and it seemed that it was common thing to happen but never noticed it before.

The woman eyed him for a brief moment only to walk in direction of one of the many downed people, she tried to grab something but was met with resistance.

A moment of struggle later she obtained what she wanted and came back.

Leaving behind a convulsing man who later stopped dead on tracks and foam fell from his mouth.

"Here." She presented the newly retrieve object which presented to both siblings."Today is the release of the new Icha Icha books."

Kichiro almost fell face first to the ground, it was simply too ridiculous to actually believe it but when his eyes caught of what was written in big letters at the cover everything started to make sense.

" _Icha Icha_ …" He started.

" _Forbidden love_." Only for Naruto to finish for him.

"You must be fucking kidding me!"


	19. Chapter 20

_**Disclaimer: See this? Then it means that I don't own Naruto.**_

* * *

A nice sofa and a nice apartment to enjoy a cup of tea with another person.

Sadly I was staring at my tea rather than enjoying it like I should, action that didn't go unnoticed by my companion.

"Is something troubling you, Kichiro-sama?" I wasn't exactly sure if that question should be answered with honesty or answered at all, I didn't want him to get concerned with my own problems. The same went for Naruto, they didn't need to know; those were MY problems after all.

"No, don't worry." I dismissed his concerns, but after taking a brief glance I noticed that a very little detail. His breathing, they were not naturally but forced. As if the mere action was a torture to his lungs and tried to limit himself so the pain wouldn't be that constant.

And I couldn't forget about his eyes, they looked very tired. I couldn't tell how much pain he was in but I was sure that his will power was overpowering that part.

"Actually, I wanted to know how are you." I placed my cup on the table and left it alone for the time being, that topic was far more important.

Kimimaro stop his tracks the moment I brought up that sensitive topic.

"I'm fine, Kichiro-sama." He bowed his head in respect and gratitude. "Thank you for asking." And gave me a very soft smile, his twitching lip didn't go unnoticed by me.

"I meant about your illness." I clarified, I wasn't going to get angry to him for trying to avoid the question he was scared that I could discard him like the rest.

"Is nothing that I cannot handle." After his reply he placed his cup on the table giving company to mine.

"Kimimaro, is your condition getting worse?" I asked with clear concern in my voice.

He looked at me with a blank face and after he gave a very slow blink his head lowered in shame, he didn't want to lie to me but hiding the true could also be considered as an indirect lie though as I said before I couldn't really blame him.

"Hai."

He simply feared to become a disappointment.

"It hurts every time you breath?" I inquired further,

"Not all the time but yes." He replied with his head down.

At that moment I looked at him with analytical eyes, even if he didn't say it I could tell a few things from him just by how his body was reacting. For starters he was trembling as his hands were clenched into fist which signaled his frustration and anger towards his illness. And the way he breathed was his inner battle of his willpower to keep serving me against his terminal illness.

But I wasn't pressured with the time, I already knew where Tsunade was gambling and drowning herself with cheap alcohol. I should have expected that the old man was keeping close tabs on her so finding her wouldn't be much of a problem. But another fact relieved me from the tension; Kimimaro didn't have a curse mark and he barely fought through the years, his only major battle where he was pushed to his limits was back in Kirigakure when the Kaguya clan attacked.

In other words I could take him with Tsunade at a later date, obviously not a really late date but a late yet soon date.

"Kimimaro don't do anything that requires a lot of effort for the next days." It was the best solution for the moment, also he had his vitamins and nutrients which delayed a bit the effects. But I would never take him to the hospital, not because I didn't trust them to take care of him but Kabuto was there as well.

His status as a spy wasn't that big of a secret, but he was there to also keep close tabs with Orochimaru. And I didn't want him dead yet, he had his own uses.

"Hai, Kichiro-sama." He stopped his self loathing and smiled once more.

"And avoid using your Kekkei Genkai." I added, this time Kimimaro nodded his head without losing his smile.

"I'm home!"

A very expected and warmly welcomed girl just made her arrival crystal clear on the apartment, glancing at the clock I noticed that it was time for lunch so that was the reason of why it was very expected her arrival. She would never miss one of the meals of the day, those were important.

"Over here!" I called while waving my hand.

Naruto saw us and her smile beamed with joy, however she stopped herself from running towards us so she could take of her shinobi sandals*. Only after that she ran toward us, maybe that was a white lie about us as in plural; obviously I was her only objective in mind.

So rather than avoid the inevitable I only opened my arms waiting for her to jump, and she did. I simply caught her and stayed like that for a little while on the furniture, both of us just wanted to enjoy the moment.

Moments later we broke apart and Naruto was standing in front of us after she greeted Kimimaro.

"Onii-chan, what is for today?" She innocently asked as I mentally cursed, obviously I was so absorbed in my thoughts of what happened yesterday that I completely forgot about cooking; I could still cook but at the time I was finished it would be kinda late and it might mess up the internal clock and the diet, kinda over exaggerating the facts but in truth I didn't want to wait more time than necessary for a proper meal.

"Sorry I didn't cook." My response caused her to deflate as if something was lost there, but I knew how to salvage the situation. "But don't worry we are going to eat outside today." And as expected she returned to her old self, pretty funny how she can quickly change from one mood to another that quickly.

"Okay!" She feverishly nodded her head very excited of the idea to eat in a restaurant, probably because we didn't do that since that time with Hiruzen, and Kimimaro was coming with us too mind you. I wasn't going to be such a cold guy and leave him behind, also I didn't want him to feel like I didn't care for him at least to some extent.

"But first take a bath, no excuses." I didn't mention that detail before but Naruto was smelling of hard work and training; it wasn't very strong but a girl smelling like sweat wasn't very appealing, personal hygiene was very important trait after all.

However as she went in direction to the shower Kimimaro took away the cups back to the kitchen while I simply stayed on my spot calmly and patiently staring at the ceiling as the ideas of which place we should go.

It was a very nice moment for all of us.

Who could have guess that Kimimaro had such love to sweets, along with Naruto they ordered a lot of desserts. Though it was kinda hard to convince him to actually order something for himself since my opinion mattered a lot of him he attempted to chose what I chose; sometimes it annoyed me his dependance.

For the moment the three of us were walking across the main street heading back to the apartment with Kimimaro on my right while Naruto was taking the lead with both hands at the back of her head.

"Ahhh, that hits the spot." The funny thing about that was that she same the exact same thing after she finished her third plate back at the restaurant.

"And my wallet." I muttered under my breath, the restaurant wasn't a fancy place obviously, and wasn't some cheap one where everybody and I meant everybody could eat but a decent place with standards, and accessible to my current budget. However the bill almost made me lose my cool even if I was aware that it was going to be expensive either way.

But as we walked I recovered my money, it was a dark little secret that I learned how to do a perfect pickpocketing, poor civilians; their hard earned money lost in a instant.

The wonders of chakra.

But I wasn't going to ruin her cheerful mood just for money.

"I am very grateful for the lunch Kichiro-sama." Kimimaro said his thanks for the fourth time, he said it the moment we arrived then to repeat it after the meals arrived, and again when we were finished and then the current one, so four times he repeated the same thing.

"It was my pleasure." I smiled while my inner me was struggling with keeping the cool attitude, his share almost cost as much as Naruto's. But seeing his very genuine smile and a very happy and jumpy Naruto helped made it all worth it.

We didn't talk that much, we just walked as a group like many others did.

And it remained like that until we found ourselves near the park of the district, from that point we found ourselves on a division, two routes; one which lead us to the park and the other further in the residential area where our home was. Naruto turned to look at me expectantly, waiting for me to decided what we should do so I briefly looked up to the sky to check how if we had some time left, the sun was not close to the horizon meaning that we had some time for ourselves to enjoy.

I took the lead and we headed to the park though the lead was quickly passed to Naruto since she ran to be on front and then return to her normal pace.

After arriving and settle in place where we were comfortable enough, an hour had been spent by sitting in a circle on the grass and learning more about Kimimaro's clan history, obviously omitting the part of bloodshed and slaughters along with his life behind the bars because he was feared of his power.

It was very informative if you ask me.

Kimimaro finished telling us about the Kaguya's hair styles.

"Moving on, I wanted to inform you something." I turned to Naruto with a sad but serious face.

"What it is?" She tilted her head to the right showing confusion.

"I will be leaving in two days." After I finished I noticed how her eyes widened as she quickly looked down in sadness, it was a very brief moment of that attitude before she lunged at me with a crushing hug, not really crushing but she had a very tight grip on my body.

"B-but you just returned." She wasn't crying but she was hurt nothing more nothing less, I would have been the same in her position. If a friend or family member returning from a very long trip then you expected to spend as much time as possible with him or her not that they have to leave again making the time together very short.

The best I could do was to stay there for her, caressing her hair with a delicate touch waiting for her to be satisfied.

"I know, I know but this need to be done now or now." It was a personal mission not for Root neither for Konoha, but Danzo allowed me to take Fuu and Torune with me. It could be said that it was a short but beneficial business trip at the Land of Waves.

A good few minutes later Naruto broke away and returned to her spot next to me.

"Is not fair." She said.

I gave her a sad smile as my hand moved few strands of her hair which were covering her face. "Life is never fair."

Then I quickly poked her forehead which caused her to lift her gaze waiting for something to happen. "But don't look so down, I will leave in two days so we have all tomorrow for ourselves."

Her beam of joy at hearing my words was gone the instant it appeared.

"Tomorrow I will be doing D-rank missions for the whole day." She looked down, then up only to return down. It was clear that she didn't want to tell me that after what I just promised her.

"Oh…"

That shut me up and wiped away my smile, I brought my hand under my chin trying to think for a solution. I didn't take into account about the D-rank mission because it slipped my mind, and well D-rank mission in ROOT where no-existents.

Then a solution came in mind, so a snap from my fingers got her attention.

"I guess we will have to move everything for today." And I patted her back reassuring that our plans weren't going to be ruined no matter what.

Or that was what I thought.

"I promised to Hinata-chan that I will go to her house tonight." And she shut me up again. Another factor that slipped my mind, she had friends of course she would spend time with them as well.

And I taught her to never break her promises.

"This…" I began.

"This isn't fair." Only for Naruto to finish for me.

I gave a very tired and heavy sigh, it didn't go accorded to what I have planned but I wasn't perfect and not always was going to happen as I wanted, it was an undeniable fact. But it didn't mean that I had to like it.

"Now I feel bad." And let the gravity do its work, seconds later I was staring at the blue sky and its clouds, so calm and serene very relaxing activity to do.

Though it didn't last since a whiskered face got in the way, not that I truly minded.

But moments later another white face with two red dots on the forehead joined her in looking at me.

"Onii-chan?"

"Kichiro-sama?"

Both hands went to my face in response and dragged their way down, I shouldn't be wasting time. "I wonder when I will have free time." I thought out loud, but the question was mostly because I really didn't have much time for myself. I always ended up using for planning, ROOT missions, personal missions and taking care of Naruto.

Probably I should find some time and go to the hotsprings.

"Can't you ask?" Her question brought a good point since I could ask for free time and the old war hawk could give me some free time but he would ask for compensation in the future, it wasn't really worth trade.

Again I poked her forehead, but she didn't mind at all.

"Nope, my captain is very strict if not a jerk." And many other things that she couldn't know, it was for the better that it remained in that way.

"If you retire?" Kimimaro surprisingly joined the conversation, but his soft voice was gladly welcomed.

"HA! I would love to do that but I just got in and also it brings bread to the table."

"We can ask to Oji-san for some." She muttered, but I heard her and looked at her straight to the eyes.

"We can't always rely on others to fix our problems Naruto." After I finished I stood up from my place and very subtle I glanced to my right, I might not be a sensor but all shinobi could at least have some level of sensory if they focused in that task.

Somebody had been watching us, and it wasn't from ROOT or Anbu. A third party, but since I was able to catch his or her chakra signature the responsible wasn't a very skilled person in stealth so the person wasn't exactly an enemy shinobi and if it was then he or she sucked in stealth.

So trying to play along the card of the ignorant guy, I did some stretches while I waited for Naruto and Kimimaro to stand up as well. And as expected from Naruto's part she also did some stretches.

"Anyways go home with Kimimaro, I have something to take care of first." I added with crossed arms.

"Fine, see you later." Naruto rolled her eyes and made her way back to the apartment. Kimimaro followed her close but I grabbed his shoulder stopping him on his tracks.

"Be sure she arrives safe." It was an order, even if we were in the village I always was a bit paranoid when her safety was involved.

The Kaguya nodded with eyes closed. "I shall not disappoint." Only then I released my grip on him allowing him to keep walking so he could escort Naruto back home.

I stayed on the same place watching how both of them disappeared of my range of sight or get mixed with the people that were walking on the same direction. Only when I was sure that they already left I stopped the act.

"Alright come out." I demanded.

I didn't wait too long for the person to reveal himself, though he didn't do any dramatic entry. He simply walked in front of me and stood his ground giving me a hard glare, which clearly told me his stand on the matter.

He was here for answers.

Why?

Perhaps he noticed odd things in the short time I interacted with him or Sai, he noticed something that was simply off. And well anybody would have noticed, even Naruto but if it bothered her then she would have asked me personally.

"Hello Sasuke-kun, what brings you here?" I smiled at him, it was a fake smile but I smiled nevertheless just to get a reaction from him, because I was aware that he was very easy to provoke. Thing that was a very fatal in the life of a shinobi.

And as expected he narrowed his eyes while his hands clenched into fist hard enough that I was able to see how they were shaking from the bottle up rage that was building inside of him.

In other words he was easily triggered with a suffix on his name.

Anyways, it was a shame that he managed to calm himself with a deep breaths and with eyes closed. Then he looked at me with those same eyes, the same face of an arrogant Uchiha who believed to be superior at you in everything.

Not all Uchihas were like that, for example Mikoto, Itachi and Shisui were good people but they died; not counting Itachi, and Sasuke was the only Uchiha in Konoha so it wasn't exactly generalizing.

"Tell me." It was a demand, not a question.

A shame really, I didn't care in the slightest. I could simply walk past to him and ignore every single word of his and if he was daring or stupid enough to try to attack me then...it could be said that he would receive a new kind of clock on his wrist.

But I didn't, I wanted to humor him. To infuriate him more so he could easily fall on my hands so I could play, to lead and guide him without any problems.

And I knew the way to do so.

"Tell you _what_?" I mockingly asked.

"You are hiding something." He used his hand and accusingly pointed at me, but for my luck there were no bystanders around though I couldn't for sure how long that would last because I didn't want to arm a scene.

"True, I am hiding something." But that didn't that I should stop playing for a bit.

Sasuke lowered his arm and looked at me with the same expression, I raised a questioning eyebrow when he remained silent but kept the somewhat menacing stare at me. I followed the same drill for a little while but I was getting tired of doing nothing.

"Tell me then." He finally broke the thin line of ice that formed around us.

However I wasn't planning on speak everything right there, it was illogical and counterproductive. So I calmly walked towards him with a bored expression, Sasuke tensed for a moment probably getting ready for anything that I could do against him. But it was never my intention to harm him, yet.

"If you really want to know then meet me at the training grounds number seven tonight at nine o'clock." I said out loud when I was close to him, then I kept walking on my way.

"Hn."

But I stopped again, being aware that he didn't move from his spot I raised my voice.

"However nothing is free."


	20. Chapter 21

_**Disclaimer: One day Kishimoto, one day.**_

* * *

It was already night, but it was a night without a moon.

Not even a crescent moon.

Nothing but countless stars above.

And I was alone counting those stars, a pointless but useful activity to let the time pass without notice.

Truly that was the best I could do by the mean time since I have already done all the things for the day, except for dinner because Naruto would be in Hinata's house. Which led me to remind myself to ask at later date to Kimimaro what exactly they did there. Naruto also wanted Kimimaro to come along, I allowed but not without asking why she wanted him which she answered that she wanted him to teach her and Hinata how to braid their hair in that Kaguya's unique style.

I knew that Kimimaro wouldn't do anything improper and I couldn't forget that Hiashi or Neji would be there supervising them.

It was surprising to find out that Neji wasn't that much of a prick talking about fate and other senseless things, he was a cool guy and normally escorted Hinata along with Ko. Though that was all I knew about the new Neji, my knowledge was based of what Naruto told me and brief observations.

So I moved with the matters that followed my priority list and that particular one involved to meet up with a young Uchiha.

Of course I wasn't to be idle the whole time, I had to set up a perimeter. A web where the moment he stepped in he didn't have any chance of escape, like an insect flying straight to the spider web. It would be amusing to see him realize that fact when it was already too late to do something about it.

My trap consisted mostly in ninja wire and the wool of glove, but mostly the last one. Everything was efficiently distributed, it was only matter of time for him to walk right into my hands so I could crush him.

And just like that I found myself counting stars and also trying to discover a new constellation.

Sadly my moment of serene solitude had to come to an end, because I felt how a string snapped. A string had been cut not intentional but simply because it was on the way of a mobile object and couldn't stop the force of the movement, if I used my chakra then my strings would become hard as steel and sharp as blades.

But that was my intention all along, it gave me the signal that he had come.

That he entered my newly set territory, and that I had the advantage.

It was my cue to move.

I had clear mind and weapons ready to be set loose. Those two were enough for me to proceed in my plan, I was near Sasuke's current position that's why I couldn't carelessly move. The surprise factor was needed but it wasn't that important, it simply turned the situation more for my advantage nothing more nothing less.

We was within my range from vision, sadly I didn't possess night vision or tools that could aid my vision but at least my eyes weren't untrained in that department at least, it was enough to saw all his form and how tense he was. I could deduce that he wasn't careless enough to simply walk unarmed, he had his hand over his kunai pouch and the other was above something that I couldn't see.

Normally I would back away and wait for more information because unknown factors could be fatal later, yet I didn't. I wasn't going to hesitate because another opportunity probably would never come, so I carefully made my way around making no unnecessary sounds in search for good angle so I could start with my attack.

But he didn't leave any openings for me to exploit, he was always on guard. And the whole situation was become boring for me, I opted to attack nevertheless, I was sure that my speed was superiors than his.

And I was proved correct.

He didn't saw me coming until it was too late for him to react, a twisted smile formed on my lips the moment I saw his eyes widen in shock while my fist connected to his stomach temporarily leaving him without breath.

It was expected for him to feel to his knees with both arms over his gut while gasping for ai which was forcefully knocked out of him. But I wasn't going to give him time to recover and a chance to fight back, that would be stupid.

My kick wasn't all that powerful like other ninjas who could send flying their victims with a single hit, and in Tsunade's case with a single finger, but mine could break bones if I were to go all out and deliver the hit on the correct place, that was the reason why I was holding back against him.

I looked at his downed form, a face contorted in pain and I didn't feel anything for him, not a single trace of pity. But somehow it made me feel good, I wasn't a sadist or something of the sorts. However knowing what he could potentially do, watching his suffering was a well deserved retribution which he deserved even if he was technically innocent.

He almost beat her to death.

He broke her neck.

He stabbed her with his chidori, twice.

He tried to kill her.

Remembering those futures made me realize how easy was to end a life, one single move and a corpse was on the ground. And I was very capable to end a life, after all I already did many times.

The first kill was the hardest but then it became terrifying easy.

So unsheathed my tanto in a swift move as I walked with calm face closer to his body.

He was still gasping for air, but I didn't lower my guard. He probably was faking it so he could get me with a sneaky attack and I was proven right the moment I was right above him.

He jumped from his spot and lunged at me with the famous style of the Uchiha, his face showed determination and rage or frustration either way it wouldn't help him that much in the fight.

Perhaps he thought in ways to fight back but probably he didn't foresaw that I carry two weapons with me.

I stopped his fist with my free hand but before I could throw him away, I was barely able to escape the end of his foot, it actually caught me off the guard if I didn't react a second later he sure would have gotten me with that one.

In other words it was dangerous to have him close, without seconds thoughts I jumped away from him creating a short distance but only for a moment. I smirked when I saw him fall again like a log.

I returned my tanto to its shaft.

If he only had the sharingan he would have been able to see my strings encircle his whole body rendering him totally immobile. But I was surprised to find out that his body turned into smoke, my mind immediately went for answer.

He couldn't have used Kage Bunshins because the amount of chakra it required and I highly doubted the possibility of Kawamiri since I was sure that there was nothing to be used for that but it was more likely.

However I was able to think more of that, not because there was no time but I heard Sasuke yell his next attack.

" **Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"**

I quickly went through a serie of handsigns to perform my own defense.

" **Doton: Rengan no jutsu!"**

However I wasn't going to remain behind my newly created defense hoping that it would be enough, I quickly pulled myself out to a new position. In that time I noticed a small log lying on the ground where Sasuke was supposed to be, I couldn't help but chuckle. That was smart move, I gave him credit for that.

I heard the fireball clash with the earth, but I didn't hear the earth crumble so I turned to analyse and only saw my defense proudly standing but charred, it took me few seconds to realize that he used that attack to cover his escape. Of course I already expected him to escape the moment he realized that he was outmatched, that was the primary reason of setting up a perimeter.

I closed my eyes so I could concentrate on my surroundings, and felt how one of my strings snapped again. Just like that I was able to tell his location, I used shunshin to move his position in an instant.

I found myself on a thick branch right in front of Sasuke who had a kunai ready to use against me.

Once again he was the first to attack but this time I wasn't going to allow him to get close with his taijutsu. I jumped to next branch evading his attacks keeping my distance, I wasn't going to openly attack him because I already had a plan to defeat that was going flawlessly as the time passed.

I saw him snarl in frustration, which was understandable because he in that lapse of time he wasn't able to land a decisive blow on my body while I already did. It was skilled than him thanks to my training, but I wasn't going to look down on him. He was very skilled as well, but as a genin.

Sasuke changed tactics and threw me kunais, but in the way those were directed at me I didn't paid that much of attention; he was merely using them as distraction to keep my gaze away from him. Perhaps he was planning to use another jutsu or waiting for me to leave an opening where he could begin his own assault.

However, with a fickle of my fingers that line of thought was over in an instant.

He did a terrible mistake to forget about my strings and it was going to cost him dearly.

Without second thoughts I jumped off from the tree heading to the ground but with him along, it amused me to hear him exclaim in surprise when he was falling with me.

The height wasn't that high but it still hurt a bit the landing, specially my ankles. But for Sasuke?

He fell right on his back.

He cried out in pain first, then he was left gasping for air once again on the ground.

"Game over Sasuke-kun."

I unsheathed my tanto again and walked to his position, that time I was perfectly sure that he wasn't able to fight back anymore or substitute himself.

"I don't like your type, you know?" I said while watching him struggling for his dear life. "You Uchiha acting all mighty looking us down like some insects." Sasuke from his part stopped his foolish struggle and decided to glare daggers at me, which was funny how defiant he was despite his situation.

"But that wasn't the whole reason of this, you simply knew too much." I raised my tanto above his body, and slowly lowered it where his heart should be. "I couldn't let you live, normally I would say this is nothing personal but in reality is personal."

Sasuke just looked at me with wide eyes, they lost all trace of defiance and be replaced with genuine fear of his life, he realized that his life was on my hands and was helpless to do something yet he didn't speak a single word about it.

In response to that I slightly increased the pressure on my tanto.

"Is also funny, that you will not be able to kill Itachi." And I stopped the pressure on his chest, and that his cue to trash around hoping that it would free him somehow. "This weapon is going to kill you in the next seconds, use them wisely."

I raised my blade.

And brought it down.

Sasuke this time screamed bloody murder as his eyes shut close eyes shut trying to deny the inevitable.

However my blade stopped from going further, it had already draw blood from him. M weapon returned to its place as I kneeled next to him while my hand went to his face, especifically his eyes.

His face was scrunched in terror, so I had to open his one of his eyelids with my fingers.

And my eyes were greeted by a pair of red pupil with two black tomoes.

I couldn't help but grin.

"There you go, no need to thank me." I casually said as I patted his head like one would do to his pet, then I proceeded to cut the strings that were immobilizing him. He quickly took that opportunity to get away from me as fast as possible, but not like a ninja should.

He could have rolled away or use his hands to quickly stand, however he was desperately flailing his arms and legs. He was dragging his body away from me, he didn't have any broken bones that was for sure but probably my actions had more impact on him from what I anticipated.

Though I didn't see any tears falling so he wasn't _that_ scared or traumatized, either way I wasn't going to waste my time in wait for him to fully recover by himself, there were others ways to deal with those pesky situations.

And I chose to slap him right on the face.

He stopped his senseless falling and looked straight at me with wide eyes while his hand touched the spot where I slapped him, though I didn't put much force in that so there was no mark but a sore spot might be there.

But such trivial things didn't matter, after all he was calmer than before.

"Why?" He asked in a tone which didn't fit his character at all, it amused me to see him in that state.

Rather than answering straight away I tossed a pocket mirror right in front of him, the grass softened the fall so it didn't break. "The answer lies on you eyes"

That triggered him to grab the mirror as fast as possible, and look his reflection on it.

He was speechless to sum it up.

"Th-the Sharingan…but…"

I held my hand, a formality to interrupt him. "How did I know?"

No verbal response but a nod of agreement was enough for me to continue.

I crossed my arms while I shrugged my shoulders. "Is simple really but that's not the point. The point is that I want to help you."

What I said caused another reaction from him, he got angry. Or maybe he got pissed at me, it was understandable from his perspective, after all who would want to help you after beating the shit out of you.

"Then you should have said so!" He threw the mirror at me, yet I didn't bother to dodge or to block that projectile. It collided with my chest and quickly was pulled by the gravity towards the ground.

"It was the best and fastest way to unlock your sharingan." I replied unfazed by his last action.

I sighed when his attitude did not show any signs of leaving, it told me that I needed a different approach. I thought in using the Uchiha Massacre as a starting point but it was too soon to reveal that card.

Itachi's death was always his main goal, twisting wouldn't be much of a problem.

"Look, I truly want to help you Sasuke and I know many things that will help you to achieve your goals." And by goals I meant his personal quest to avenge his clan.

Sasuke demeanour changed, evident doubt plastered across his face. His red eyes looked lost in thought, and it was a good signal because he was thinking of my offer. And I was sure that he was going to accept because I did what others couldn't, he always wanted to activate his sharingan as soon as possible so the gap between him and Itachi could shorten even for a miserable fraction.

His desire of power.

People like that was very easy to manipulate.

"You said that nothing is free." He frowned.

"True, but I will not ask any kind of payment for the moment." Though the idea of filling my pockets with more money was really tempting, he not only had a monthly allowance but he had the Uchiha fortune at his disposal. "But I will not lie, it will cost you."

"Will you give me power?"

"Of course, though you shouldn't question my methods." Some of them would be brutal while others wouldn't be considered as training for him at all.

His gaze went to his hands, perhaps he was looking at them with his new vision. The sharingan changed the way one saw the world after all.

Patience was a virtue, but I wanted to accelerate the things.

So I extended my open hand to him.

"So would you like my help?"

He took it with a firm grip.

The Sharingan was mine.

* * *

AN: Blah Blah Blah

Nah just kidding there, I just wanted to bring a topic here about things that I had seen in many others fics of the same genre, why always the slow kind and pity approach? I mean approaching sasuke like a good person trying to befriend him? Treating him like a hurt kid? Is clear that he hates that and yet people do that. Also something I wanted to make clear is that I totally dislike Bashing, I really dislike it; it drops the quality of the story. I had read so many stories with Sasuke and Sakura bashing that I is annoying and makes me want to drop a fic. If you don't like a character (Sasuke, Sakura) and want to make it clear in your work then do it in a good way.

So yeah I dislike(hate) Sasuke, everything about him honestly. But for that I will never start bashing shit, degrading a character like that, and repeating the same fucking line EVERY TIME, "I'm an Uchiha, a nobody like you can't defeat me!" blah blah blah.

But maybe people do this and put the tag Sasuke or Sakura bashing just for the follows and favs, so the bashing lapers latch into those stories and praise the writer for it, for their _amazing_ work.

Just a little rant.

Ja ne!


	21. Chapter 22

_**Disclaimer: Me pregunto cuantos podran leer esto, de todos modos yo no soy el dueño de Naruto, obvio!**_

* * *

 **AN: LOL!**

* * *

If a mission was to occur in foreign land, one needed to learn about the place beforehand. Of course not very secret details, but also not only the basics but a reasonable amount of knowledge, like customs, schedules, favorite food and style of life.

But if the mission required infiltration then it was different.

However in my case I wasn't on an infiltration mission, and what I was doing hardly counted as an official mission since it wouldn't be registered, debriefed and archived.

I had an clear idea of what to expect in Wave but I wasn't going with that alone, reason of why I learned as much as possible from the reports and rumors just to be sure, at the end of the little research nothing new was learned.

Wave was in a state of poverty thanks to the occupation of Gatou, and they've lost all will to fight since the death of their so called hero.

My opinion about heroes never changed, Kaiza was an idiot. One shouldn't mistake bravery with idiocy, if he really wanted to help his home he could have at least plant the seed of revolution, raise arms and fight back. Not going around preaching about never give up and all those fancy words, they are useless in the moment of truth.

A weapon is more reliable after all.

I left Konoha the following day after my little chat with Sasuke and saying my goodbyes to Naruto. As settled down, Torune and Fuu came along however I needed to find to something that would be worth that little favor, I didn't want to divulge more information to Danzo unless I saw something beneficial from it.

Haku was a reliable option to but I had no clue if that hyoton user would be around along with Zabuza, and if that were the case we wouldn't dare to try something funny. We might have a good teamwork but we couldn't hope to defeat Zabuza with Haku and come out unscathed or leave alive, with some preparations perhaps we could snatch Haku and leave but still didn't reduce the risk.

Though the chances of encountering a missing nin from Kiri beside that particular duo were considerable, and it had been decided that after I finished all business at the little country I would hunt for some of them; with priority of targets who posses some sort of Kekkai genkai.

I could only hope that we wouldn't encounter clan refugees or members from the rebel side, I didn't want to deal with the guilt after all or maybe I didn't want to be pictured as the bad guy from the movie.

Moving on, it took us three days to arrive.

Though we had some mishaps at the port, nobody really wanted to go to the poor island out of fear mostly. And since I wasn't going to waste my time trying to convince some nameless civilian that everything was going to be fine, Fuu simply controlled him to do what needed to be done.

And I felt pity for the poor man after he left us on the island, because no sooner he left his little boat was destroyed. How that happened we had no idea, it also surprised us; it was fine one moment ago and then boom, pieces falling on the sea.

A naval mine perhaps?

Unlikely, we saw the explosion accompanied with smoke and fire.

Either way, we didn't think much over it and keep focused on my objective.

And well, we were greeted by a very surprising sight.

I knew poverty, though I had a bed and a roof but no money to I knew poverty to some degree, yet at looking the real face of poverty and misery was another thing. It practically throw my belief away like some ragdoll.

The reports stated extreme poverty, but words were nothing compared to the real deal.

People were on the streets with a hand extended hoping that somebody would spare something to them, and it wasn't just one person but entire families were extending their hands.

And all of them were in terrible shape, some of them even looked more like walking skeletons.

And I couldn't forgot that they were dirty, really but really dirty.

Just like that we passed first street, when we turned to another we saw a skinny man standing right at the middle of the street with a signal ' _will work for food_ ', later we noticed that he wasn't alone in that regard.

"Fuu, do you recall where we could find a decent inn?" I turned to my left as we keep walking, we needed a place to stay and we couldn't keep walking aimlessly and keep finding people in worse conditions. It was getting into my nerves, especially how some of them were looking at us.

"Near downtown, but I don't know if it is intact judging by the state of this country." Fuu answered with a good observation, desperate times call desperate measures who knows how many shops or inns were raided out of necessity.

I should have took out and check the map before venturing more into the town, nevertheless I checked the map and deduced our current location.

Sadly I wasn't given a chance to search for the inn location, I felt a very hard tug on my clothes specifically the waist area, where my wallet with all my money was located. Nobody needed to tell me that I had just been stolen, though it was a very bad thief because there was no hint of stealth or concern to did it as carefully as possible.

I pinched the bridge of my nose while an irritated sigh left my lips.

"She turned to the right." Torune subtly spoke.

"A girl?"

I didn't care which gender was the responsible to be honest, I was going to get my property back. Though I should give her some credit, she had the guts to actually do that on us; or maybe she thought that we were mere travelers just passing around because we didn't look like any native people from wave. I was inclined to believe the last option because our clothes were clean and intact.

Normally I wouldn't bother to turn before performing my shunshin to short the distance, however I didn't know my surroundings that well and there were many people to carelessly move around. A quick glance was enough for me for the mental image and perform the jutsu without hands, moments later I was above the little thief who in fact resulted to be a little girl no older than ten years.

Tidy and messy black hair dressed in tattered clothes, pretty much what I could expect from poverty however she didn't look in bad shape, she looked healthier than everybody and her eyes held more life than everybody combined. It was an oddity, because it didn't make any sense unless she had somebody who had been secretly feeding her in exchange that she stole for that person or the worst possible scenario which I didn't want to think much about it.

Yet those quick facts that I gathered weren't going to stop me from getting back my money, I needed it for all the expenses of the trip.

It was funny to see her reaction, she was so shocked of my sudden entrance that she fell on her rear but quickly recollected herself and tried to take another run. Thing that I wasn't going to allow anymore, she didn't have a chance to give a single step before I grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

She fell right under me, near my feet.

I wasn't going to lie, the desire to deliver proper retribution was high. I wanted to teach that little thief to never try to steal from me again but I simply didn't.

It wasn't for pity, the reason lied with my days at the orphanage when I used to steal just like her, snatch and run. It would have been very hypocritical from my part, besides I couldn't deny the fact that she was doing it out of necessity while I did it to satisfy my selfish desires.

But if the thief wasn't a kid I would have beaten the living shit out of him or her, no exception.

Without wasting more time I merely retrieved my wallet from her hands, she didn't fought back or attempted something; perhaps she realized that it would only worse thing for her. Then I brought it closer so I could be sure that nothing was taken, it took a while but I ended up satisfied knowing that not a single ryo was missing.

However I grabbed a single ryo and throw it to the girl. "Don't let me catch you the next time." And returned to my team who were ready to move.

"Sorry for the delay, but you know how things are." I gave them a faint smile, but both of them shook their heads in response and no verbal response; thing that I didn't like very much.

No more words were exchanged between us after that until we arrived at our destination.

The inn itself was in good conditions, in much better state from what we expected. Though it wasn't much of a secret that there wasn't much business around, and the face of the receptionist showed clear surprise of our arrival.

Everything was on my name and left the payment in advance, but they didn't charge me for the breakfast because if they barely had to feed themselves how could they offer food in the first place?

The search for breakfast of the following day would be a drag, especially with those people begging us to give them some; with the typical excuses such as 'I didn't eat for days' or 'my family is hungry'.

I didn't want them around at all, not because they would make feel guilty but because they would attract even more unwanted attention to us thing which I wanted to avoid, being foreigners and don't look miserable was enough to attract the eye from others, we couldn't be tagged as 'saviours'.

We moved to our rooms and they were also in good conditions, which was a relief. Though even if everything was in bad conditions we would have simply unsealed our own sleeping bag and sleep there.

"I will take the first watch, Torune you are next." I stated, even if we did lock the door we weren't going to be careless. I didn't exactly believe that somebody would try to steal from us while we were sleeping but I didn't want to take that unnecessary risk.

But the other reason was more justified, people love to gossip and spread rumors so it was highly probable that the word of our arrival had reached the ears of some thugs, and as the mind of a stupid thug they would try to take what was ours just because they can.

I could only hope that our night was a peaceful one.

"OPEN THE DAMN DOOR."

I spoke too soon.

* * *

A new day, new opportunities.

Or something along those lines.

Last night was rather eventful to put it mildly, just as I expected we were visited by some unsavory people who didn't have good intentions but were very stupid.

The receptionist kneeled in front of us and begged for forgiveness, it wasn't her fault; after all she was some random civilian. She couldn't hope to fight against somebody armed, even iff said person didn't have any sort of training.

The morning there was the same like yesterday noon, people lying around begging or looking miserable, there were little options to decide so we had to walk across the streets filled with them and had to endure once again their babbling or had to deal with some idiots who tried to actually steal from us.

However since any of the perpetrators weren't kids we ended breaking a few hands to teach them a lessons or two. Cruel perhaps, but absolutely necessary; stealing was a crime and the didn't justify the means.

I felt like an hypocrite person.

It took us some time but we found a suitable place where we could grab something to eat and drink, a good thing about that place was how empty it was which we didn't have to wat much for our meals.

"Well those guys were kind enough to tell us where we could find that little man." I start a sudden conversation with my team while we were waiting for our food at the table, funny or sad thing depending of each point of view was that the owner was also the cook and waiter.

"Their cooperation was highly appreciated." Torune replied looking bored, he had a hand supportinf his head while the other was making sound on the table unlike Fuu who was on his seat in mobile but attentive to the conversation.

True to be spoken, we killed the three idiots from last night. No training or any sort of trump card they fell like flies before they could raise a single finger against us. Then we had to dispose of the bodies which was a bit of a problem, we couldn't just burn them right there because the inn was made of wood and we couldn't just throw them out of the window or it would alarm everybody.

I had to draw a few storage seals for each one of them and then burn the scrolls, so no evidence was left. I wasn't a master in the sealing arts, not by a long shot; that seal was the only one I knew and could draw without any risk.

Moments later our meal arrived.

Water savored with lemon, two loans of bread and a salad.

And it didn't look tasty.

I had hope that my eyes were deceiving me and that the taste was another thing and after the first bite of the bread my eyes widened and the sudden feeling to spit that blasphemy of food invaded my mind.

"Dammit, I really dislike the taste of this." It was a formality, I would have clearly shouted my distaste of that food, even the orphanage's meals were far better from what I paid.

"Did you expect better?" Fuu said after swallowing his own share and looking unfazed, of course he would look unfazed if he was accustomed to eat ration bars and food pills.

"Honestly yes, but one shouldn't have their hopes high." I grabbed the bread a took a good bite from it and my face scrunched in disgust. "Even the bread is shit."

It wasn't soft by any means and it tasted like plastic.

"You know that we have our food." Torune took a bite from his salad and stopped from doing so after getting the experience from first hand, then he slowly pushed away his plate. It was clear that he didn't want to eat anymore of that just like me.

"Is for the return." I deflated, we could buy in some towns food if we were to eat the packed food but I didn't know if my budget would manage. The idea of stealing was appealing but in Wave, there was nothing to steal.

"Then don't complain Kichiro." Fuu said again with a frown while he kept eating his meal, it surprised me how he was able to manage to eat at first but then it hit me that he was in Root more time than us; that was enough reason.

"You are right, sorry." I apologized because he was correct, I shouldn't complain and act like a spoiled kid.

However Torune came with his reply to cheer me up.

"Don't be, I also agree that the food is terrible." Then he flashed me a faint smile.

I couldn't help chuckle a bit. "But better than those rations bars, doesn't it?"

"True."

Yet the moment of bonding had to come to an unexpected end when Fuu shot up from his seat looking unfazed yet very pissed at the man who was crying out in pain because Fuu was applying a lot of pressure on said hand, if it continue that hand's bones would break.

Normally I wouldn't mind but we had already break many hands in less than a day.

"Fuu, don't break his hand." I told him with a stern voice, he didn't look at me or try to argue back; he simply obeyed and released the skinny man who quickly ran away sobbing in clear pain.

From that point the environment became clearly unfriendly, that man ruined our moment but it couldn't be helped. We had to eat that disgrace of food just for the sake of eating we didn't want an empty stomach after all.

Since I had already paid we left without missing a moment and walked across the streets toward our predetermined destination.

"Oh well, that was a pretty bad meal but a meal nevertheless." I stretched my arms as casually speaking with them, a way to keep ourselves occupied and divert our focus from the masses around us.

"Where are we going now?" Asked Torune.

"Isn't that obvious? To Gato's residence." I answered without stopping our way, and truly I wanted to finish that meeting so I could start my search for those missing nins and get my payday.

Then return to my home and drop dead on my bed.

Though my answer wasn't that very kindly received by them, but if they truly didn't like my answer then they did a bad job in expressing because their blank faces staring at me didn't said much.

"Don't look at me like that, I doubt that he has some missing nin working for him." That was a relative assumption, probably they didn't like my careless attitude. "And if he has we can deal with him or her."

As long as they were below Jonin level we were fine, though we are capable in taking down a jounin level shinobi but with careful planning and preparations beforehand.

"Kichiro."

I held my hands up.

"Joking, I will talk with him and do some business; I'm pretty sure that he will accept my offer." I quickly added, after all if you entered with a big show you would get a lot of attention, so if you asked nicely things would be easier; in a way at least. Besides Gato wasn't an idiot, he was able to raise a successful business and get control of an entire country after all.

"And if he doesn't?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"He dies."

* * *

Well talking about doing things calmly and nice, it was a complete lie.

People didn't give a fuck if you were to ask nicely, so force was needed to be applied there and over there to achieve your goals.

When we arrived and seek audience with the millionaire and even showing certificates to validate our claims, which were falsified by the way, they didn't let us in and even more they tried to steal everything from us believing that quantity could beat quality.

After a few kills they let us in out of fear, thing that we wanted to accomplish; not our primary objective since the primary belonged to a peaceful approach. However no shinobi came to try to strike us down when we were occupied with those thugs, there were two possibilities one there weren't any shinobi around or two, he or she was waiting for orders.

It was a beautiful mansion to sum things up, I wasn't going to enter into detail in that aspect.

A bulky man with sword on his waist was waiting for us behind the doors, however he wasn't there in wait to attack us. He was there to guide us to the office, since he silently motioned his hand to follow him. It seemed that Gato was aware of our arrival and the commotion that we caused, but for sending somebody with the flag of neutrality then he understood our motives weren't openly hostile and that he knew that his hired men were idiots.

After a few stairs and some halls later, we reached a big door with nice looking cravings on all over the frame. Our guide used his head to tell us to enter as he leaned on the wall with his arms crossed looking uninterested of the situation, I didn't know if that was his real attitude or he just wanted to look cool.

Either way that wasn't going to stop me, I told both Torune and Fuu to wait outside after all that matter didn't involve them and also I didn't want them to hear much because they would report to that war hawk and I wanted to be the one to report it to him personally.

Without further problems I twisted the doorknob and let myself in.

At first glance I was surprised to catch the sight off the office, it didn't look too fancy or showy; it looked more for business purposes. Many bookshelves filled with so much knowledge, and desk which had a lot of files and the typical mountain of paperwork.

And in the principal desk was the little man wearing his sunglasses look straight at me with both hands supporting his chin, he didn't look pissed or nervous; he had an excellent poker face.

"Greetings Gato-dono, I have a proposition for you." I started with a flashy smile.

"You came to my house and forced yourself in, created quite a show and do you honestly expect me to hear you?" He blankly stated, no hint of venom or hostility towards me.

I merely shrugged my shoulders and looked disinterested. "I asked nicely, is not my fault that your workers are uncivilized." I stated a true which he was aware.

He sighed in frustration as he rubbed his temples with both hands before saying the ultimate and undeniable truth. "They are cheap." And he allowed his body rest on the back of his seat.

"True, so what do you say?" I brought again the question, but I was prepared for both outcomes, either he is willingly to hear me or be an idiot and refuse.

"Speak kid, I don't have time to waste as you see I have a lot of work to do and I would rather finish it before night." He sounded so logical and intelligent, maybe he was in business mode? Or he was just putting a farce to try to lure me into a dangerous environment?

Questions, questions and decisions.

One of my decisions was to take seat on the nearest chair.

"What do you think about becoming the Water Daimyo?"

I almost laughed when his sunglasses fell from his face.

* * *

 _ **AN: I just wanted to say that I just got bored really bored of reading the same Gato over and over again, I dare to say over one hundred times and from that hundred times only TWO stories had a different Gato obviously not a good guy but a more reasonable and logical one; like seriously guys; that man managed to become a successful businessman, get ahold of an entire country and be referred as the richest man of the world and the only thing you do is to bash him torture and kill him?**_

 _ **So yeah just like Danzo situation I simply got bored on reading the same thing and not showing some originality in that part.**_

 _ **Geez...**_

 _ **BTW the stores are 'A Demon in the Shadows' and 'Way of the Rattlesnake.'**_

 _ **Also for this story you need to be open minded, as you saw in this chapter Kichiro might look a bit cruel or an asshole and some in the future you will question his morality. But in truth that's how many of us would act, like seriously guys when you see a homeless dude on the street you only ignore him or maybe just maybe you give some exchange so don't lie about that you will help him and feed him and all that because is a lie.**_

 _ **After all Kichiro is not a hero nor a villain.**_

 _ **Ja ne!**_


	22. Chapter 23

_**Disclaimer: You thought I was the owner of Naruto? Well I'm not because the owner is HIM! KISHIMOTO!**_

 _ **MUDAMUDAMUDAMUDA!**_

* * *

 **AN: Why some writers make their male OC pretty? I mean they look like a girl just like Haku, just for the comedy of the first impression?**

* * *

After the initial shock we had a long conversation, or what I assumed to be one because there wasn't any clock to check the time. Gato was very reasonable and listened every single word and for every pause I did for catch some breath he asked his questions about the matter, which the first one was the very expected one of how I could achieve that. Obviously I didn't tell him anything about ROOT and Konoha involvement but I made it look that I belonged to a different powerful group who had their eyes set on Kiri situation ready to exploit any advantage.

He was aware of the civil war still destroying the water country however he was skeptical about getting involved since it would cause him some trouble, if he was to support one side the other would attack him in retaliation; it was common logic which I understood very well. But since we were supposed to be a third party any of the two sides would lay eyes upon him, yet for him becoming a Daimyo out of the blue could raise question and he made it very clear.

After all there was supposed to be a royal line that succeeded the ruler, a hierarchy of sorts but since the Water Daimy didn't' want to get involved with the civil war he lost popularity especially from the shinobi and the native clans of Kiri, and his personal shinobi guard was practically non-existent since the seven swordsmen of the Mist were either dead or became Missing-nin, so for us to infiltrate and get rid of him wasn't an impossibility anymore.

Though we were wondering why MIST didn't take any preventive action towards that aspect, they did a very good job covering the tracks and preventing that every kind of news could leave the Water country yet their Daimyo was vulnerable.

A trap of sorts? Or they also wanted to get rid of him too?

Either way it wasn't going to stop us in the slightest.

"Even after everything you told me I still can't bring myself to trust you and this offer despite how good it sounds." He gave me the poker face along with his reply, yet I knew that if I explained even in further detail his mind could change.

But in reality as I said before his life wasn't really that necessary for me, either if he accepted or rejected I would become the owner of the company in wave. Though forcing him to sign all the papers to transfer all his fortune and companies to me would be far more simply, I didn't want to take that shortcut because it would only bring problems in the future.

"Well there are many others candidates to fill that job and are in the waiting, however I would rather have you sitting there than them." I didn't put much of a thought to my response so I merely shrugged looking disinterested.

Internally I grinned mischievously when he lost his poker face and looked interested for what I could say next.

"May I inquire why?"

Once again I shrugged my shoulders.

"It benefits... us more honestly speaking." I almost said me as in singular, it would have been a terrible mistake putting him into the defensive and probably forget everything that I said and call everything off.

"Explain." He waved his hand.

That was my cue to lean closer looking deadly serious.

"For starters your ambition and ability to achieve success, Kiri is going to need that. You always strive for power or monetary gain, besides you are the kind of man who can exploit any sort of weakness."

He raised an eyebrow. "That didn't explain very much." His reply showed that there wasn't much conviction of my words or perhaps he wanted more details.

"I mean that you can practically get ahold of all the power from the noble houses from Kiri like companies, lands, feuds, I know you are very capable of such feat." I gave him a calm and sincere smile, I knew that he didn't have a clean backstory. For achieve the position that he was currently in, a lot of ' _questionable'_ things had to be done; so he could do the same thing if the opportunity arises.

"And I wanted to bring another point, we want trade that seat for this company." I bluntly stated, no sweet talking for that one I needed to make that very clear.

The reaction was similar from what I expected, shock was obvious but I kinda expected from him to abruptly stand up and shout his refusal but not just choke with his own saliva at hearing my demand and then remain calm while looking straight at me with narrowed eyes, or what I could tell since he was wearing sunglasses.

"Don't joke around."

I replied with my own glare as well. "I'm serious."

We were engaged into a short lived stare contest, short because I released a bit of my KI; the little man broke away and sighed while wiping some sweat from his forehead. That action didn't bothered me at all, the amount of KI I released wasn't dangerous for civilians but it still intimidated to some extent and could defeat people whose will was pathetic, it looked that he wasn't a weak willed person.

"Do you honestly believe that I will give you MY company just for a possibility?" There was a small hint of annoyance in his words but I that didn't stop me from continue with my own words.

"You took risks in the past, didn't you? Besides this is only one company of many that you have around the the elemental nations, we just want this one in wave." I stopped there and waited for his reply but I wasn't expecting him to totally agree with me for the moment.

Another heavy sigh came from his mouth and resumed his glare on me."I did take risks in the past but because I was sure of the outcome and the losses weren't that big if the outcome was otherwise, but what you are asking is a little too much for my liking."

I sighed as well feeling annoyed by his stubbornness but I couldn't really blame him as much as I wanted, I would be like him if the situation was reversed. "This doesn't need to happen immediately, ONLY if you become the Water Daimyo we will get this company. If it happens both of us win and if it doesn't then nothing happens, easy as that."

That was the only condition for the moment, only if event A happened then event B would happen. It was mostly to put worries at ease, however I really would have liked to get ahold of the company at that instant rather than wait for it because I wanted to sit on the chair and rest my feet on the desk and feel powerful.

Sadly that even would be put on hold.

"That sounds better." His lips contorted into a small smile which matched mine after hearing a positive response from him. "So how much should I wait?"

"A month." I quickly answered his question, but another thing was on my mind.

Another reason of why I wanted to take control of his company as soon as possible was because I wasn't lying about the fact that there were other candidates selected by Danzo and Hiruzen themselves to get the position of Water Daimyo so I couldn't really assure Gato that position.

Perhaps I would be able to pull it off, perhaps not. But as I stated before I was going to become the owner one way or another.

"Seems reasonable time, I will be waiting."

I stood from my seat and slightly bowed my head. "A pleasure doing business with you." Then took my leave in direction to the door where my team was waiting.

"The pleasure was all mine." I didn't pay much attention to that part but I heard it very clear anyways, and for that I couldn't help but a smile form on my lips yet it didn't last long because I already passed the door and on each side was Torune and Fuu respectively with their back resting on the wall obviously waiting for me.

"We are leaving." I didn't stop my way for giving that command and didn't bother to turn back to check my surroundings, I knew that nothing funny would happen to us especially if that guy dared to attack us but that last option wasn't really an option because he showed a level of intelligence and logical reasoning.

"So how did it go?" Torune was the first to ask the awaited question.

"Success." And I answered it with my grin of pride, if I was an over dramatic person I would have done a pose to accompany my grin; good thing that I wasn't.

Yet that small moment of accomplishment didn't last very much between us, our trip wasn't over until I got some missing nin with a Kekkei Genkai and with them I would get some well deserved vacations.

We didn't exchange more words until we were finally outside of Gato's mansion and away from the prying ears of some unsavory people, only there we took a very brief break and I stood in front of them with crossed arms.

"We can't call this a day yet, we have some hunting to do you know?" I said with a serious tone, they already knew about the plan but a short reminder didn't do any harm, and also it put them in full attention.

"I suggest to start in the north coast since there are many beach caves, a good place to hide." It was a very good suggestion from Fuu's part, and since he was a Yamaka his sensory abilities would shorten the time in searching for some targets and reduce risks from possible ambushes.

"Any other options?" However I still needed to hear other options or suggestions.

"The others are to search all over the town or go to the south." I pondered his suggestions for a little while, search across the town could be difficult with the rabble being an annoyance and going south could take some time.

"We stick with the first one." I replied.

* * *

It took us some time to arrive to the north, and we were greeted by the sight of a peaceful beach sadly that wasn't our objective so we went to the rocky side were caves naturally formed over the pass of time, but we proceeded with caution.

"Fuu do you feel any chakra signature around?" I asked, his sensory skills weren't that powerful like Karin who could sense chakra signature from miles away, but it was enough for our situation.

Fuu from his part closed his eyes put his hands in the common ram hand seal and meditated for a brief moment which had me very anxious for his answer, a positive answer mind you.

It was a patient man but sometimes I questioned my patience, specially that he took his time to open his eyes return to a casual stance; probably wanted to annoy me.

"Hai, two of them one that could be considered chunin level reserves and the other medium genin at most." He answered unfazed, but in my case I was mentally jumping in joy because we got it right in the first try, a lot of time had been saved thanks to a stroke of luck or just good assumptions and also that our targets were very easy to handle, chunin might pose a threat but we had numbers on our side and we were better than many chunin and genins were just that, genins.

"Jackpot." I grinned again but then a specifically line of thought struck me very hard, like a brick. I completely forgot that those two missing nin weren't necessarily 'bad' people who defected or were marked as one for doing something unforgivable, missing nin status were given to all clan members with Kekkei Genkai or any supporter of the rebel side.

It truly ruined my mood.

"Dead or Alive?" Torune snapped me back to reality with his question.

I could only pray that those two were insane people or psychopaths residing in wave for very stupid reasons.

"What happens first, though alive could be more useful." Either option didn't matter at all, after all the genes wouldn't be affected at all. The most important part to reproduce a Kekkai Genkai. "Oh and don't put on your Shinobi mask." I quickly added, the shinobi mask was direct and only one sided, there was only black or white not a third option besides I had a good gut feeling that told me that we wouldn't need to fight at all.

From that point we proceeded with Fuu leading us, but with a lot of caution because we couldn't tell for sure if those two laid some traps around or an alarm system. Torune could use the help of some insects since he was an Aburame and I suggested the idea but there was a little problem.

"Kichiro I must inform you that there aren't any insect around." He stated as a matter of fact causing me to drop my shoulders in disappointment. The coast wasn't a place for insects to live so I should have expected that, but one could always hope for the positives things in life.

Those were the moments when I wished that my earth affinity could help us, that it could give me some sort of connection with the earth and feel any disturbance but that didn't exist or it probably exist but wasn't aware of it.

"Well there it goes Plan A, Plan B?" I sighed, and there wasn't a plan B it was another way to ask for suggestions since we didn't have any sort of solid plan. And that was a bad thing that I should ever repeat in a future.

"We don't know the insides of the cave system the enemy has the upper hand in that aspect." Fuu made another good observation, putting me in a tight spot in thinking a way in how to proceed to obtain the best outcome.

But it was fine, nothing was easy in life after all.

I was about to speak but Torune did before me.

"And we don't know for sure if our targets possess some sort of Kekkei Genkai so this make it a little more difficult." Another good observation but it was Torune's turn, those missing nin could be from the rebel side and still no posses any sort of Kekkei Genkai but at least I could get something from their bounties so it wasn't exactly a loss.

I brought a hand under my chin to think again as I looked the cave and its surroundings, it looked quite shady and wet but it was obvious since the sea was right next to it but it was quite high so the water didn't go inside that much. Also stone wasn't the same as earth so I couldn't just concentrate and pass through it or perform a jutsu on it, but the sand worked perfectly.

I took out my wool glove and let the strings spread all over the ground, as I searched for good spot where I could hide.

"We will wait for them to come out, however this is your part…" Both leaned closer as I began to tell them my capture plan.

Genjutsu layer over another layer was always worked like a charm, only rendered useless for wielders of a doujutsu that could see chakra. Torune was next to me since I needed a good observer, Fuu was better observer but his role involved him to be hiding in another position because it made it easier for him to perform his part.

So I couldn't complain.

But I also wanted to complain but not for that fact but that we had been waiting a few hours for our targets to leave the cave and the sun was reaching the horizon where it would set and give the signal to the night to come, and that as something I wanted to avoid, night meant that we needed to use some sort of light and that would give away our position and if we didn't use it then we would be at risk in moving around with very limited vision.

But I still had hope that they would come out, though I regretted the fact in not bringing any sort of gas despite I would be even in more debt with Danzo. Thinking it better I could have bought that from any shinobi shop; it was pissing me that I was that stupid of not thinking in that before.

However my focus returned to the matter at hand when I noticed Fuu doing hand signals from his hiding spot, it said ' _enemy approaching'_. Torune got the message as well and became like a statue while I set my eyes right where my strings were laying.

Moments later from the entrance two figures got closer, one taller than the other. Then it became clear, our targets were a woman with long black hair white skin and wearing an old green coat and brown pants. While the other was a boy younger than us but with a very interesting hair color; blue wasn't very common after all.

I felt the pang of guilt stabbing my heart after giving a good look, that people weren't psychopaths or 'bad people', they didn't look it in any possible angle. They were just trying to find a safe place to live, and I was going to capture them to deliver them to Danzo.

There was only word to describe my predicament.

Dammit.

"Torune can you tell something?" I barely whispered without letting my eyes leave the targets a second, I couldn't even blink.

"Nothing." He whispered back.

I knew of the possibilities and I was dead set in not backing out, after all I really wanted that vacation so I could spend it with Naruto, we needed a lot of catch up to do. My hand was barely out of my hiding spot so Fuu could see it, it was the regressive count.

From my place I saw him do the Yamaka hand seal to perform their very well know jutsu, their unique clan technique.

"Shintenshin no jutsu." I was perfectly able to read his words from his lip, then his head fell unconscious but his body stayed in the same position. He took possession of the genin and seconds later he lunged at the woman who screamed in utter shock at the sudden turn of events, yet she didn't know of why Fuu lunged at her in the first place.

Without losing a second with a single command my strings were activated in the first stage binding both of them, but leaving the arms free for the boy so Fuu could return to his body.

"Torune!" And just like that he also jumped into action with two seal at hand and without his gloves; the purple color of his hand showed his unique Rinkaichū were ready to spread and kill.

Just before Torune could put the seal on the boy's body, Fu was already on his original body. With another flick of my fingers the boy was completely restrained from doing any kind of movements just like the woman.

"FUIN!"

His command activated both seals, those were the same we used on Kurotsuchi to completely disrupt her chakra network making it impossible to mold chakra for a certain amount of time.

"Capture successful." Honestly I wanted to smile for such flawless success but knowing who were our victims left a very sour taste in my mouth. Fuu walked next to us and delivered a strong hit right on the neck of our targets starting with the boy and finished with the woman.

Torune didn't speak for the moment, instead he kneeled and touched them with a finger. His nano-sized insects immediately spread all over the place but he quickly stopped that from happening.

"So did you find something?" I asked, what he just did was a his way to analyze the chakra and tell what oddities were with it and depending from that he could tell if the target possessed some sort of Kekkei Genkai.

I faint smile adorned his lips.

"Hai, she is from the Yuki Clan, famous for their Hyoton." I was surprised at hear that, I thought that Haku was the last member after all, maybe an exaggeration from Zabuza's part. However the Hyoton was very powerful and valuable which meant she was worth for many things to exchange.

I signaled the downed form of our second target."And him?"

Torune shook his head, bringing worry that he was useless in that aspect.

"The chakra felt very odd, but I am sure that he has some kind of Kekkei Genkai just unknown to us." But his words reassured me and as much as I hated to admit, his words brought a smile because that boy was very valuable as well.

I began to think what other things I could ask for exchange until I heard a very weak broken voice.

"Who...are...you?" It was the woman who I thought was incapacitated, in response I glared at Fuu with a frown.

"Fuu, I though you incapacitated her."

From his part he looked a bit surprised at finding out the sudden change of events. "I did apply enough force to incapacitate her, it seems she was stronger than anticipated." Fuu wasn't a liar, so I couldn't blame him from unknown factors; we didn't have much information of them after all.

"What... are you... going to do to us?" From her place she dragged her body back and forth like a maggot until she could connect her gaze with mine from below, her eyes held so much desperation and fear, it wasn't funny and I wasn't smiling anymore.

"Shut up." I said sternly while I had to hold back my leg from kicking her across her face like I usually did with other captured targets from before; I simply wanted to get over it and move on.

For the meantime Fuu went to check if had something of value, that could be of some use or could be sold at later date. "Let's see, very few throwable weapons and some money."

I pinched the bridge of my nose the moment I heard the value of the loot, it was practically worthless in monetary gain. Their shurikens and Kunais were old as ill maintained, they could be used as improvised shovels at much; better to throw them away.

Fuu handed me the money and I was even more disappointed, with the amount received I could buy only one decent meal in any other town.

"Please...let us go." I almost choked on my breath when her voice reached my ears, I had dealt with people begging at my feet for mercy before but when I had my Shinobi mask on. Without it, things were getting out of my comfort zone; they were innocent and life was unfair to them.

"Torune." Involuntary I snapped at him.

He placed another tag on her and held his hand in front of him. "Fuin."

I saw the seal activated again but didn't affect her much that it already did, she was awake but doozy.

But somehow she looked straight at me with those same pleading eyes.

"Please."

I stepped back.

"Dammit how is she so resistant?!" I tuned to Fuu looking desperate for an answer, but at that very moment he slapped me hard. The pain that I felt was enough to calm my nerves and made me focus again like it should have been from the very beginning.

"Thanks." I rubbed the sore spot.

He didn't say anything in return but looked at the woman again with a frown.

"I can use that method." Fuu added as he checked his hand which he used to slap me, then turned to me waiting for my approval which never came.

"Don't bother I will be sealing them now." I pulled out the scroll that were designed to hold jonin level shinobi, they couldn't hope to escape once I sealed them.

However I wasn't the one who would seal them since I have to keep channeling chakra through the strings, even if they were incapacitated to give a proper fight I wasn't going to take an unnecessary risk. Torune was the one who I tasked to do it for me.

"Please! I will do anything!" The yuki member begged with a voice full of desperation however there was strength in it, it ringed the alarms bells of my mind. She was recovering very fast from the chakra disruption, without hesitation I placed another tag on her and activated it.

In the meantime Torune finished with sealing our first target.

"There we go." And he handed me the scroll which I placed it on my belt, followed by giving him the next one.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

Sadly I was stopped from handing him the scroll when somebody charged at us, the charge was stopped by Fuu with ease, he simply put his hand and stopped it.

It was a little girl who looked suspiciously familiar to me, messy black hair and tattered clothes, but I needed a little help to recall if I truly met that girl before.

She was flailing her arms wildly hoping to achieve something.

"No! don't come Naomi!" I was surprised by the sudden force I felt from my strings, thanks to that little girl my focus diverted from channeling chakra weakening her binds ad adding the fact that she somehow could recover very fast; she almost escaped.

It was a good thing that it didn't happen and that Torune taught her place, the ground.

"Isn't she the one who stole from you Kichiro?." Fuu spoke as he grabbed her little wrist and pulled her closer to examine her, but I didn't care at the moment because thanks to him I was able to remember in full detail what happened the day before and the warning, sucks to be her. And thinking it better that could explain why she looked far better than the rest of people at Wave, the Yuki member had been taking care of her and the little girl stole from others hoping to help her somehow.

"Now that you mention it; yes she is, perhaps she has some Kekkai Genkai too?" I couldn't deny that possibility, after all that little girl could also come with them and wasn't native of Wave.

Once again I felt the disturbance of my strings and the sudden surge of chakra coming from her, she was fighting with all her might to get free from me. And that annoyed me a lot, she was making it more difficult that it should be.

"NO SHE DOESN'T, PLEASE LEAVE HER ALONE!" She was struggling with even more strength than before leaving me with no other option, as much as I didn't want to I gave the green lights to Fuu to proceed with his method to subdue her.

He let her little girl fall to the ground and went to the woman side where he kneeled and placed a single finger on her forehead, her eyes widened as her pupils shrank in the size of pinpricks and all the trashing and pleads of mercy ceased in an instant.

She wasn't dead but her brain?

Probably shutdown forever .

"Torune." The little girl didn't offer any kind of resistance as Torune pressed his fingers on her spreading his Rinkaichū in a controlled situation, and then get them back.

"No she doesn't." He shook his head, as I dropped my shoulders in defeat for a second time.

"Well what a disappointment and here I thought the third one was the charm." It was a terrible moment to make a light hearted joke, I probably just wanted to humor myself from what I was doing and it didn't work at all. "Anyways we wasted enough time already."

I throw the scroll at Fu who quickly used it and sealed the brain dead woman inside it.

"And there we go with the last one." With the second target secured there was no need to keep wearing my glove so it went to one of my pockets with all the strings.

"GIVE HER BACK!" The little girl yelled from her position as she stood up looking at us with a killing glare that didn't work at all since she had tears coming down, it was sadness turned hate.

I already did something that could be questioned as morally correct, I didn't want to do something outright wrong. "Go away kid I have no business with you."

But the little girl was stupidly stubborn and ran to me and tried to steal my scrolls, causing me to get annoyed from such attitude, without thinking it twice I kicked her right on the stomach sending her away.

She fell hard on her back but that didn't stop her from getting back to her feet and charge at me with the same intentions.

Insanity is when people do the same thing over and over again expecting different results.

She never gave up.

"Give my family back you monster!"

Even if she looked battered and had some blood coming out of her mouth.

"I told you before didn't I, so I'm telling you again, GO AWAY!" I yelled, but her determination showed me otherwise of my demands.

It reminded me of Naruto…

I couldn't do it anymore.

"I want my Kaa-san and nii-san back!"

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Four lights.

The fourth one was a disturbance of the flow it needed to be removed as soon as possible because it simply needed to be removed.

Then I understood.

* * *

 **AN:This isn't your typical happy SI OC story of how they live happily and change everything for the better, I said that in the beginning. And also why you needed to open minded to understand. The scene with Gato was hard so sorry if it doesn't fit or feel wrong but I just wanted to get over with it.**

 **And I wanted to recommend you guys a good anime, or manga or LN whatever you want to check first; though LN is far better. The name is Overlord, check it out is awesome, even if it looks like your typical video games anime is not by a long shot; badassery and with a twist of evil and awesomeness.**

 **Oh and I wanted to point something, if you are going to 'criticize' then have the guts to do it without hiding with the guest button, because I can't take anything serious from guests since most flamers or people just to say how much they dislike a certain story hide behind this _'guest'_ option.**

 **Ja ne!**


	23. Chapter 24

_**Disclaimer: You see this?! Then you already know what goes right here 'cuz you know.**_

* * *

Konoha was just a day away and the sun was reaching the horizon so the exchange between day and night could take place. But I wasn't outside witnessing the natural course of the day, I knew how late it was thanks to the window that was not so far from my table. A table from a bar where I took seat and drank the cheapest drinks that the place had, I had the money for better quality but at the moment I wanted quantity over quality.

But if somebody were to see me burning my brain they wouldn't be surprised at the sight because of a single point, I wasn't drunk in the slightest; I drank of course but not drowning myself with it; I was treating my cheap alcohol like a fine bottle of wine; enjoying the taste and flavor, the burning sensation on my tongue and throat told me enough that it had a high percentage of alcohol.

And something very important, the taste was very bad but it helped to wash my mouth with that foul taste that still lingered around, the bottle had already been paid so I had all the time in the world to consume it without interruptions; but that didn't mean that I couldn't get bored or tired of doing something for a prolonged time so I took small breaks resting my chin on both arms occasionally checking my surroundings.

I didn't bother to read the town's name at our arrival so I couldn't tell where I was residing in for the night, and I as much I didn't want to feel bothered by insignificant things it simply couldn't happen, the yells and cheers coming from both large and small groups of people couldn't be so easily ignored. Even if I was far from them their shouts felt as if they were standing right next to my ears; the need to silence them was high but it would be stupid to start beating the shit out of workers who just finished their day and were spending their free time away from whatever responsibilities so a drink could be share between friends and peers.

It was their nature.

I wished I had some earplugs, but since I didn't have one enduring was all those unnecessary and annoying sounds were the only possible thing to do. I didn't forget the possibility of just leaving the place with the bottle and search for an empty roof; but the roof didn't have chairs or tables where I could rest and find a comfortable position for naps.

With willpower and determination I persisted until all that rabble calmed down leaving a more calm environment, still noisy but in more acceptable levels. Thanks to that I was able to rest with ease or at least tried to since I heard a voice calling my name, well I couldn't not hear it since it was right next to me thankfully he wasn't yelling my name so no harm done.

But at the same time I felt annoyed, after waiting so much time I wanted to take short nap and that person stopped me from doing so there were many options to chose about what to do next and the one only required to ignore the person until he gets bored or fed up and leaves. Though it could lead to violent outcomes but that was irrelevant for the moment.

I wasn't going to ignore him, there was no real reason to do so. I might be annoyed but not in foul or snappy mood to lash out at anybody who dared to get into my nerves, besides it wasn't feeling that energetic to try something, it was far more simple to respond his call but with that much laziness made it quite difficult to get into a proper position to greet a fellow person.

I could have turned my head and talk from there but I was civilized and with a ridiculous amount of effort I got in the correct stance to receive the person who was calling for me, I could only hope that he didn't think bad of how much it took me it had resemblance of a drunk man movement after all.

My black eyes met yellow eyes for a moment as catching the rest of the face, the owner was no other than Fuu.

Yet before I could even pronounce a single word my bottle was sent flying away and shattered somewhere on the floor, I frowned at his uncalled action and my glare attempted to pierce his blank face, keyword being attempted, he replied with narrow face and eyes telling me his disappointment. I didn't understand why dissapointed at first but then the facts kicked in realizing why he was acting like that; he saw me in a bad position and immediately

deduced that I had just drunk myself into stupor; meaning he was in the obligation to follow the protocol.

"Kichiro you can't keep doing this." I frowned at his words, but that was the only thing I did since anybody would get the same message no matter what; and words wouldn't be much of a help for obvious reasons.

A very heavy and tired sigh left my lips as I got up from my seat. "I was simply washing my mouth." I said while stretching my arms and legs, after all they felt like they needed a good stretching, however I had to get a good grip on the table thanks to Fuu since his hand struck the back of my head very hard that I felt the resonating effect inside.

"With cheap sake?" His question was answered with a disinterested shrug from my part, it wasn't really my intention to act rude I was just ating how I currently felt, disinterested, bored and annoyed.

"You don't know the wonders of sake."

What happened next was very funny, so funny that I had to hold back my laughter when my face met the table in a flash of a second, the perpetrator was no other than Fuu with a very annoyed expression; I didn't believe for a second that I got under his nerves; he had been trained for much more time than me and never once I saw him lose his cool. A trait that sparked some jealousy toward him.

"Guilt and regrets cannot be fixed with alcohol." He applied more pressure on my head against the wooden table. "And you know that the shinobi mask shouldn't be used like that."

I wasn't wallowing in pain and searching comfort with alcohol, there was no pain at all but he didn't know that fact; and plotting my way out of his grip wasn't exactly an easy task. He was very decisive of his actions and the time to do something was becoming quite short the moment I noticed how he pulled out a paper tag with a seal. A drunk ninja wasn't exactly a nice sight, if a drunk civilian can be dangerous to some degree;to other civilians, then a pissed off a ninja could be dangerous for both civilians and other ninjas so there was a protocol assigned to Anbu members to quickly deal with them and avoid potential problems.

To avoid get knocked out I used the kawarimi with the wooden chair, once out of his grasp I quickly brought my hands up in signal of surrender. "Ma, ma Fuu-san, don't be hasty with your decision I'm not intoxicated at all."

Yet with my words his position wasn't swayed at all, his stare on me only hardened as he prepared to use more effective methods to subdue me.

Knowing this I proceeded to the alcoholic tests to prove the truth of words by showing how much control of my body and senses I had, wordlessly stating that I wasn't under the effects of alcohol and incapacitating me wouldn't be necessary at all, he merely caught me at the wrong time and got the wrong message.

I believed that he understood when his face softened but I also had the belief that he was going to scold me for something which was involved of what happened back in Wave.

But he didn't.

"Kichiro we are going to talk." Or at least I thought.

"Fine, we can talk at the inn." A groan was the only thing I could do, after all he wasn't going to let me walk away like nothing happen when something clearly happened, my calm evening had been interrupted for the better or the worse, mostly for the worse. I just wanted to spend that lapse of time alone devoid of the happenings of outside world.

* * *

A decent room in a decent inn was rented for the night, the quality compared to Wave's was abysmal for very obvious reasons and meals were included so nothing much to complain could be found there, unless the neighbours decided to have very noisy nights.

I hoped that it wouldn't be the case.

"Lay on the bed." Fuu instructed me as pointing said bed with his hand., however he didn't stay idle; in the meantime I was getting comfortable on the bed he had been preparing his seat for the next hour or less while preparing his board where his notes would be written down and analysed with critical eye.

However I didn't anticipate from his part to place one leg over the other and look at me with a smile and eyes filled with serenity and care. Like one of those psychiatrist who had a very queer method to treat their patients, it truly bothered me.

"Now tell me what's bothering you?"

There were many words to describe the incredulous look plastered all over my face, but something I was completely sure is that I didn't have any sort of mental illness , but saying that my mind was completely healthy was exaggerating the facts by a lot, being mentally conditioned and all that Root training stuff which was pretty messed up if not really but really fucked up.

"Are you really going to act like that?"

He shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to write. "Is a formality."

There was no point to argue back, besides he was right to some degree what happened back there in wave was bothering me quite a bit. "Fine, I'm having bit of trouble processing what I just did." Then I looked straight to the wooden roof.

I heard his pen writing more notes before speaking again. "Do you feel guilt or regrets of what you did?"

I thought a moment to answer that question, I was in doubt because I was trying to think if I truly regretted what I just did, feeling bad could be considered the same? But at the end it simply left a bad taste in my mouth nothing more nothing less, just like a common assassination mission; I wasn't in the obligation to like what I did.

"No, I don't. I'm accustomed after all." What I said made me click my tongue deep in thought. "But this time it was different."

"How so?" He added another note the list before inquiring further.

"Dunno…"I shrugged my shoulders from my position, but seconds later I realized that it wouldn't do any good to me besides the stern look that Fuu gave me was enough motivation to spill the beans. "Actually, that little girl reminded me of Naruto."

It was a complete change on his face the moment he flashed his satisfied smile while writing more notes, then both of us remained silent; normally I should be the one freely speaking but I was waiting for him to ask first besides I saw his eyes analysing the information so I simply let him be.

Again another sudden change of personalities from his part and I was at the end of his pen which was being pointed at me while he wore a stern face. "We could have left but **you** stayed as far as I can remember." He literally passed all the responsibility on my shoulders; but he was correct in doing so and as much as I disliked the fact; I couldn't deny it since I was the one who was leading.

I wasn't in the obligation to like the truth after all, and passing both hands over my face while releasing long heavy sigh, no matter how much I tried to think an alternative answer facts couldn't be changed, they happened end of the story.

"I know! But I just don't know."

"That is not an answer."

"It is in my book." I snapped back at him, it was out of irritation but I should have hold my tongue back because that only earned a hard slap on my forehead from him. Obviously it hurt but it caused more noise than anything and maybe a hand imprint was left on that spot.

"Kichiro."

Something was very clear, he never sugarcoat things he was always straight.

"Fine." I groaned while rubbing the sore spot.

My vision was to the wall of the room, I didn't feel like looking at his face specially if he was giving that stupid smile like everything was fine; while in truth it wasn't. But again I could hear his writing, I didn't understand how he could write so much despite our talks weren't that long. But he had studied physcology, obviously not in professional level, but enough to be helpful to others.

In the meantime I grabbed one of the pillows and hugged it close to my chest, it was so soft that it felt like a plushie. I missed the plushie that I gave to Naruto, it was cute and fluffy after all.

I knew because I personally commissioned it.

"Why did you put your shinobi mask?" His question snapped me back from daydreaming, but at processing the question I stared directly at his yellow eyes.

"Because my emotions were getting the best of me." I replied without a hint of emotion, it was just for that moment everything within me shut down and he noticed it but his eyes ever left mine while he wrote it down again.

"Yet you felt like sparing the little girl, didn't you?" His cold tone matched his cold eyes, and it send me shivers all over my spine causing me to feel very uncomfortable. I wanted to reply instantly but I was left with an open mouth since no words came out, after all what he said was true but I had other reasons to hide it. Simply it wasn't fair what I did but many thing that I did in my life weren't fair at all; bringing again the same question from before, why it was different?

A nod had to replace my words and was accepted and understood my motives of acting rather than talking.

"Why?" No facial changes.

But I was the one who had to break the eye contact so I could think for the answer, but the answer was already at the tip of my tongue but I needed to phrase it correctly or it could be understood in the wrong way which I didn't want to and he also didn't want to happen because it could affect the diagnosis; in other words I was given time to give a proper answer.

After thinking over and over again the situation I was ready to deliver my answer.

"Fuu, she reminded me of Naruto and a piece of me, those eyes filled with genuine sadness and suffering, but not that kind, the other which was willingly carried for another motive; so she could make space for the warmth feeling of having a family, or maybe unconditional love?" After the last word I stared at the ceiling deep in thought, the possible future if I actually spared the girl whose name was Naomi, it was clear that she would hate me for what I did but I always could alter her memories with a bit of help but then it would be more of a problem trying to hide the truth and I would become a complete liar which I was sure I wasn't but then I remembered that rule only applied with Naruto.

"And then you killed her." His words cut like the sharpest of blades.

"Yes, it was stupidly easy." Another disinterested shrug of my shoulders, killing became too easy and a normal thing to do the moment I became a ninja but when innocent are the ones who fell by your blade thing could get a bit confusing, maybe? "However is that these people were refugees, they had already suffered a lot and well when I think about it I found myself not caring at all. Is my life and I am first before the rest."

And I wonder how I could keep teaching Naruto about humility and being kind and every good trait that a person could have, I almost never applied any of my teachings in the first place; it made me look like a complete hypocrite person who was spilling bulshit from his mouth.

What happened in wave was the perfect example, Naruto would help the people in any way possible, either by hunting or sparing some money or trying to bring a smile to their faces. While I didn't do shit, is more I technically abused them since I wasn't in the obligation to break their hands for trying to steal me a simple scolding was enough.

"You wanted real missing nins." It wasn't a question but a spoken truth since the beginning of my trip, missing nins and sold for a few favors, in any other light it looked like human trafficking and it was correct but nobody really cared; even less for missing nins. They lost all right the moment they left the village, it was more like putting down rabid dogs.

"Correct, it would have made things far more satisfying." I was supposed to do a favor to the world, not turn me into the bad guy that everyone would hate if discovered.

Fuu took a moment to collect his thoughts and laid down his pen and board with all his notes, then he looked straight at me with a furrowed brow.

"You wanted to feel like a hero, didn't you?"

"I'm not a hero." I quickly rebutted back, and cutting all thoughts related to that. I wasn't supposed to help the world for the sake of helping, only my happiness mattered and my goals to be achieved at any cost. The top of the world wasn't an easy position to get or one that could pleased every single person inside it.

"Didn't you?" All words died at his stern gaze that pulled me into the naked truth, in reality I truly wanted to get some satisfaction in doing a favor to the world. In help to get rid of a nuisance.

"Yes…" I was ashamed of myself, my eyes couldn't even look at him.

However that didn't stop him from writing more and read over and over again all the gathered notes. Once again tetric silence dominated the environment allowing the feeling of anxiety form on my gut while I waited for his verdict.

And I knew that he wasn't going to sugarcoat my verdict, it was going to be so direct that I would dislike it if not outright hate it.

"We found the problem." After agonizing seconds he finally spoke up turning all my attention on him, who was looking at me with his stern gaze which told me that I wasn't going to like what he was about to say at all. "Naruto sees you as her hero, besides her only family. But when that girl showed similarities with Naruto your mind went wild with emotions so in response you panicked because you felt as if the real Naruto found out the truth, you don't want Naruto to see that side of you. As much a you want to deny it you are only feeding her a lie."

With my speed and agility I found myself grabbing his collar as lifting his body from the ground, yet he looked totally unfazed unlike me. He probably predicted that reaction out of me, but I didn't care I simply wanted him to take that back because of how wrong he was.

"I never lied to her." His calm and collected attitude only infuriated me even more, and all those negative emotions were going straight to my hands which were getting ready to strike his face without remorse.

"Half truth or hiding it also count as a lie." I brought up my fist and prepared myself to break his nose and leave black eyes but the more I thought about how to harm him I found myself unable to do it, I just kept staring at his unfazed face with mine filled with the growing anger.

But at the same time I was hoping for him to say something or to counter my actions and have me against the floor or against the desk, to incapacitate me to teach me a lesson to never let my emotions get the best of me; but that brought the question how did I let that happen even if I knew the consequences.

I couldn't decipher his real intentions, but I had my theories and I didn't like them at all because I would never follow them no matter what or if that decision could affect at others.

My grip on his clothes loosened, moment he took to accommodate the parts which were unfairly treated but never once letting his eyes leave me for a single moment, he knew that I knew.

"Kichiro."

I walked away not looking back, I had a lot to think about, but alone.

"Shut up, we are done."

I didn't sleep that night.

* * *

We arrived at Konoha later than expected, not in days but in hours. The expected time was when the sun was still up but we found some problems on the road which caused us to take more breaks than necessary which resulted of us arriving right before the sun set over the horizon.

But the day didn't end there, as expected both Torune and Fuu went to report back with Danzo while I had to accompany them to prepare the room for negotiations since it wasn't going to be that easy to get what I wanted, the two sealed ninjas were mostly a good bribe to slightly bend him to agree.

And also to at least make him consider to put Gato on the seat of the Water country, or I wouldn't be able to obtain the company of Wave with relative ease.

It was a very long talk, even more than the one we discussed the fate of Kurotsuchi. Fact that was both surprising and ridiculous; surprising because of how fast the time can pass when focused and ridiculous because talks couldn't take that long not even Hiruzen took that much time when talking with ambassadors and emissaries. Besides Danzo was extremely stubborn, much more than before; what I was offering was practically gold encrusted with diamonds and he didn't want to accept any of my demands and they weren't anything farfetched by a long shot.

I only wanted a free month, a complete month relieved of duties because I deserved one and Naruto deserved some attention and some help in whatever was troubling her.

And I needed to speak more with the Uchiha.

It was the biggest debate of ideas, he even went back in time retelling the tales of Konoha and its starting days with Tobirama the leader of ROOT.

Not even a cup of tea was brought to the room to at least calm the nerves or please the mouth since it became dry from so much unnecessary talking. Probably the old bastard wanted me to get on my nerves by making me lose my patience and it was working until I had to offer my last resource. In other words, I spilled some of my knowledge to him thing that I wanted to avoid; but I didn't reveal something too important. Probably his objective since the beginning of our conversation.

Snow country wasn't much of importance after all, I didn't need the whole country but just the minds behind those inventions. They would be proven completely beneficial in a future.

With that little bit of information he was satisfied and complied with my demands which surprised me of how much favoritism gave the idea of Gato becoming the new Water Daimyo.

Then he left, which probably was going to his room where he could begin his plots and schemes concerning the snow country.

Poor princess, though she wouldn't care at all about the fate of her country honestly speaking.

But moving on on the reality, it was pretty late and there was only a crescent moon on the starry night and the nightlife was reduced to very small numbers, it was really late hour of the day or I was probably on the next day and didn't notice.

Either way I couldn't deny that I was really tired, adding the weight of my sleepless night because it couldn't be properly recovered even with all the breaks I took on the way back; a short nap couldn't be compared to hours of sleep after all.

But the exercise was what kept me awake, pumping blood to my brain and heart thanks to the constant jumps I had to do to arrive to my house. Though I had to have the occasional stop when an Anbu spotted me, I didn't complain and I complied with their orders; they were just doing their jobs after all.

So after a long while I was right at my door, with my right hand inches away from the doorknob while the other hand had the keys which were retrieved from the secret spot in case we forgot the keys inside.

Two twist later I was already inside.

I saw the couch and the urge to run up there and drop dead was very tempting, devil temptation at its finest but I had another urge which needed to be satisfied before calling it a day.

My stomach was aching for food, lots of it.

With enough will power I pulled myself in direction to the kitchen; more specifically the fridge. Hopefully there were some leftover or I would be forced to make something to eat, obviously a very simple meal like a sandwich.

However my mouth went agape of what I found inside, my current face probably looked silly but that was a trivial thing.

What I found inside was a homemade cake with two notes on it.

I knew it was homemade because the amount of detail and the quality of them, I wasn't going to judge obviously but bakeries truly put a lot of effort in making their pastries to look the most beautiful and appealing to the customers. And the one I was currently observing didn't had that touch but the amount of effort in baking it and decorating it was clear on my eyes.

Again the urge of simply snatching the cake and eat it right away with my bare hands had to be suppressed the moment I saw the notes on the cake, I was pretty sure the one who left them behind was Naruto; but the possibility that Hiruzen was the one responsible couldn't be omitted too.

So I proceeded to open it and read its content.

 _'For the best Onii-chan'_

My heart melted with the warmth while my lips contorted into a genuine and warm smile, it was the most beautiful thing somebody had done for me and it made forget everything that happened before arriving, all of that was irrelevant after all. Coming back from a long journey and knowing that somebody was there waiting for you was all the happiness I needed.

Many things could be done for her but I doubted that it would have the same weight like hers, it was just too perfect.

But there was also the second note which I needed to read but after I saved the piece of paper on my pocket.

That note had more words than the last one.

 _Hey Kichiro-kun! If you are reading this then it means that I fell asleep somewhere waiting for you so please take me to bed as soon as you find me. But first you have to eat the cake which I baked with Hinata's and Kimimaro help; though don't eat it all I also want to have a bite._

 _But if you want it all for yourself is fine too._

 _Love Naruto._

 _PD: I don't think you can eat all of it so ask for my help! :3_

 _PDD: I swear I didn't eat anything from your cake! Not even a tiny little pinch!_

 _The words slowly became blurred until it was incomprehensible for anyone to read._

I wasn't hungry anymore, just very tired of everything.

But first I had one last responsibility to take care of before calling it a day.

And it didn't take me long enough to finally find Naruto along with Kimimaro, she was soundlessly sleeping on the couch with her pajamas on while Kimimaro was with his kimono resting on the carpet; very sweet from his part to give her the big one but he could have slept on the others but I couldn't really blame him after all he only wanted to be good boy.

I was about to pick her up but at looking at her peaceful face made me reconsider, I couldn't risk to wake her up she needed her rest since I didn't know how long she had been waiting for me along with Kimimaro, but I had an rough idea if I considered her stubborn attitude and the complete devotion from the last Kaguya.

I released a long yawn when I finally decided what to do next.

Every step was becoming heavier and heavier but my purity of will keep my body functioning, a very taxing activity but I had the obligation of a good nii-san to finish it. The distance wasn't that long but as said before my feet and my exhaustion made it large, but at the end I was able to retrieve what I needed.

Two blankets.

One for each one of them.

After placing it on Naruto she moved a bit the muttered something that I didn't understand, but that was probably because my senses were going numb of how tired I was. Kimimaro rewarded me with smile that told me in how much peace he was, like his illness didn't even exist and that brought me another smile.

Only then I allowed myself to give in to my needs, my legs became like jelly as I found myself landing on the cushion and I became worried that I made enough noise to wake them up but I was relieved that nothing happened.

I stared at the ceiling, my...our ceiling for a few more moments before I finally embrace the darkness filled with pleasants dreams.

* * *

 **AN: Okay okay first things first, if you are asking how did Naruto knew when he was coming back he told her, okay? He told her an approximately of when he would arrive but I couldn't find a way of how to fit in the chapter and I found myself frustrated in trying over and over again so I decided to say it here on the author notes so no complain mmkay? And I felt a bit lazy dont judge me.**

 **A more happier end for the instead to alleviate the dark ending from the last chapter, it wasn't necessary that ending but I wanted to do it. lol**

 **And Merry kinda not so late christmas and Soon new year (whatever it is said cuz i don't know the correct name XD), I know the next year will be better cuz I will finally be able to play Overwatch, poor Paladins it will soon be forgotten.**

 **Ja ne!**


	24. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: Nope.**

* * *

Another beautiful and sunny day for the land of fire, specifically to Konoha village which always had the sun above and looking almighty giving us a nice sunlight caressing our skins most of the time since winters were very cold and no sun at all.

But for others the heat produced by the sun could be killed especially if said person finished a tedious activity and was all sweaty and tired. In other words most shinobi hated sunny days for the sole reason that they just wanted to feel refreshed not hot. Truly that couldn't be judged at all, I also preferred cloudy days when it was time for training. Not even light clothes could hope to go against the heat of the day, those were the times I wished that I had a affinity to water so I could use some jutsus to cold down the temperature a little.

So the only thing I had at my disposal was the use of the tree's shadows and my hand to make some air.

"Why I'm here again?" My attention went from my thought to Naruto, or better said Naruto's head. It looked like Kakashi didn't give up in training her with the basics of elemental manipulation, earth manipulation to be exactly. Or he just liked to mess with her because of her attitude.

I was inclined to believe the latter option was the most probable, however in true it was helping her in develop her potential as a kunoichi along with a few laughs from his part since he can't ask any sort of payment from her.

Yet I drifted m attention to the leafs from the tree and watching how the rustled with the air currents and occasionally a leaf or two feel to the ground. Normally I would leave her alone with her training but that day I felt like testing how much she progressed as a kunoichi, I already tested Sasuke's strength weeks ago but Naruto I never tested her since I didn't have the time for obvious reasons. And Sai strength was obvious to me, even if it had been years since we had seen each other he couldn't have improved because his training regime had suffered a drastic change. But comparing of the broken mess he used to be after that fateful day, he looked much better.

"Because we are training your elemental manipulation." I wondered for a moment about her team and what training could be doing; obviously Sasuke would be trained accordingly by Kakashi however he was still unaware about Sasuke's sharingan because I strictly told him to do not reveal that yet. Also from what he told me Naruto was behind them in this subject, Sai obviously got the idea and did it few hours and Sasuke had to omit that training because of his affinities towards fire and lighting.

In other words, I got involved because I didn't want her to be considered the weakest of the team not after all the effort Hiruzen and I put in training her. Though hypothetically speaking she was the alot stronger than them but one little detail could ruin everything after all people most of the time only looked and critiqued the defects from others.

"IS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO BE BURIED?!" She was pissed that I could easily tell, reasons could vary from dirt under the clothes to drowsy muscles. Well she had been like that for few weeks every day dedicated purely to train her elemental manipulation so her hate was justified.

But for me, I realized that she still didn't have patience with that sort of things. It was confusing; she could wait very patiently for me but for other task she showed a lot of impatience.

"I've told you that is the best method out there, besides those were Kakashi's orders." I shifted the position where I was resting on the tough exterior of the tree so I could be in a more comfortable position, pretty much I had been sitting there watching how she failed to manipulate the earth so she could leave that hole.

"Kakashi is a jerk and you know it!" She yelled back. "Besides you are here to supervise my training so do something!"

If her arms weren't deep underground she would be pointed at me with the accusingly finger.

"I have a good earth affinity so I know my stuff, thank you very much." I quickly replied.

"Then show me!"

I sighed a bit annoyed because I didn't want to move from my perfect spot, it was so comfortable that I could have fallen asleep, but my imouto required my assistance and as a good family member I couldn't leave her hanging.

"Okay." I stretched my limbs for a brief moment and concentrated my chakra which was channeled to my feet and hands. Moments later I was buried just like Naruto with my head sticking out of the ground however unlike her I quickly left my little earth prison like it was nothing. "Piece of cake." I wiped out all dirt remaining from my clothes.

I was calm but for Naruto's case she was really infuriated, especially after my cheeky remark; but it was a taunt from the beginning.

"It had been hours Kichiro!" That actually made me think about her dire situation since what she just shouted was in fact, somewhat true. However rather than just comply to her demands I opted for the other way which involved a bit of teasing from my part.

"What happened with my lovely imouto who always referred me as her beloved Onii-chan?"

"Kichiro!"

* * *

A good break and some refreshment later and she was good as new, though it couldn't be said the same for her training clothes. Those would need a good cleaning, good thing that she had spares.

But enough of that I wanted to do something fun, to pump some adrenaline right to my veins and get excited for it. Without missing a second I jumped from my spot with the help of my hands and landed on my feet.

"I want to see your growth as a kunoichi." I said with an apparent smirk of cockyness plastered on my face. "It had been years after all."

It only took seconds for her to appear before me with a grin which spoke of how much confidence she had in her abilities. She looked so eager to begin that she was practically hitting her right palm with her fist in front of her chest; silently telling 'come on'.

However that attitude of hers didn't last, the first thing to fade was her grin and confident face replaced with confusion, creating the cute confused little girl.

"So how are we going to do this?" Then she scratched her head with one single finger, if I didn't have such self control I would have burst out laughing which possibly could have earned direct hit from her part for embarrass her.

"Easy, a friendly spar." I answered with the most obvious of tones which only got her a bit infatuated with me, I had been wondering why I was teasing her so much but that line of thought didn't last when I realized that it was funny to see her all flustered. "You can go all out, don't worry about me."

I finished, though as I said before I didn't know much about her strength since the only thing I knew was that she could do was to spam Kage Bunshins and mastered the academy jutsus since I was there and helped her with those aspects but the it was unknown to me how much she learned from training with Hiruzen, Enma, Asuma, Kakashi and perhaps Kurenai. That training she received from them I was totally ignorant, it was unknown to me and it was time to see it by myself and see her limits.

"Ha! I had been waiting for this day, get ready because I will kick your ass!" Such a brash attitude and tomboyish tone, totally fits her.

With renewed vigor she quickly pulled out a scroll which I recognized as a sealing scroll whose only use was for weapons and such. I was already getting excited to see what surprise she had stored for me.

"Your bo staff?" Truly, I completely forgot about Enma gift. It had been years since that day after all yet that line of thought made me depressed all of sudden; how time pass so quickly and without realizing you became an adult who misses school days.

I was glad that everything happened inside my head, I didn't want to Naruto get all worried over me and lose her fighting spirit.

"Oji-san had been teaching me along with Enma-sensei, back when I was still in the academy." She proudly announced while single handedly wielding her blunt force weapon, after giving a long look to her staff I noticed that it was bigger than before better said it was a bit taller than her, perhaps she got an upgrade?

"Ah well, I see no problem a blunt weapon is not that dangerous after all." I replied with a mocking tone, waiting for her reaction. After all I also wanted to see how hot headed she was and then help her if it could affect her development as a kunoichi.

"What do you mean with that?!" She got all angry all of sudden indicating that she was easy to infuriate as well her emotions could get in the line of duty; but I could fix that. Obviously in a much better way than the mental conditioning I received; besides Hiruzen and Kakashi could help as well.

"Nothing nothing, just an observation." I brought both hands up in signal of surrender telling her that it was my mistake though in reality it was her own fault to begin with. However we had already messed around for a considerable amount of time and both of us wanted some action very soon.

With a very calm expression I walked away in the opposite direction until I felt we had enough distance between us, then I turned my calm stance. I knew the full extent of my capabilities and her being a Jinchuuriki or not I was pretty sure I could defeat her, even with the lack of information of her arsenal.

But with the primal rule of never underestimate the enemy still vigent on my mind I gave the signal to start our friendly spar.

"Now!"

And Naruto was took the first turn by doing a very well know hand seal, creating a wide wall of smoke.

" **Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"**

I knew from the beginning she would spam clones, so I didn't moved from my spot as well my arms didn't move at all. I decided to do nothing for the moment until the smoke screen left the surroundings, sadly that decision was revoked the moment it was said.

I had to dodge by jumping away, two imminent strikes which were directed right to my head, it looked that Naruto didn't wait for the smoke to disperse a good decision since it hide the numbers and possible countermeasures by going for a quick attack forcing all focus on defense and dodging.

The perpetrators were two clones with a deadset stare on me, both wielding their weapon with both hands in a battle stance ready to go for another attack. However the speed and the skill of each strike wasn't much of a hassle, that was the reason I could dodge both strikes and be standing unscratched. Perhaps Naruto told them to hold back to create a fake feeling of safety so I could lower my guard.

Again I was proved correct when another pair of clones came from above, and slashed their kunais at me. This time I didn't dodge them and went bare handed against the two of them as well as changing my angle so I didn't lose sight of the clones who had just attacked me.

They joined seconds later with swings coming from both directions.

It may look that everything was happening very slow but I knew better, for us shinobis of similar strength our fights looked normal to our standards but in reality thing happened very fast which only thanks to our training we could keep up with that speed.

I barely dodge her clones who went directly to incapacitate by going to my legs, I simply couldn't keep up with against the four of them and I knew as well that any of them was the real Naruto. Literally all my limbs were occupied in dodging and blocking, and I couldn't forget the fact that at any moment another clone could come and finish me in one go.

Without more thoughts I spun my whole body using the momentum to grab as many shurikens as possible from my tacticall place pouch and throw them at the unexpecting clones who received the impact at full force instantly dispersing in a cloud of smoke. Without losing a beat I used that smoke as my improved defense and pulled out my wool glove and performed in rapid succession the necessary hand seals to active my deathly strings.

Then the wall of smoke began to dissipate.

Just in that time more clones came into view ready to overwhelm me, I didn't have time to count how many were closing in from all directions yet that didn't matter since my strings were ready to fight, and just like a Hyuga performing the Kaiten I rapidly rotated on my place letting my strings go wild with the force.

Many pops were heard as well as a thick layer of smoke was created around my position.

I successfully created my perimeter, an efficient defense around myself. However I needed to remain still since it required concentration to keep all those strings in shape of a defensive dome similar to the kaiten.

Again the wall of smoke didn't last very much.

And many clones of Naruto were in front of me with weapons ready, either kunais, shuriken or her bo staff. In the brief hand to hand combat we had I could tell that she learned good coordination with her clones, if I wasn't used to fight large numbers of enemies I could have been defeated with just that attack.

After all MIST or BOULDER never fought fair.

"Straight for the numbers aren't we?" I smiled but no response came from their side meaning that Naruto wasn't in that group, probably hiding in any of the trees that were surroundings us.

"Let's go!" One of the clones suddenly gave the command and all of them charged in unison, that tactic normally was considered useless against skilled opponents however the pattern of how they were running towards me told me otherwise. They were very coordinated, each one had their respective distance and their fast steps had the same rhythm. It was a tactic of teamwork when rushing to a single opponent, the distance and rhythm was to do not lose momentum the moment they would strike, so every strike came in a perfect succession giving little time to the enemy to rest.

If it weren't for my strings I would have chosen the retreat option and take care of the clones one by one until there were no more to dispel. Though knowing the amount of chakra she had, it was actually a bad idea.

I smirked at watching how the first line and second got obliterated the moment they set a foot inside my marked perimeter.

"What?!" Hearing the yell of surprise and shock made me internally smile, they definitely didn't expect that to happen. However there were many clones remaining who stopped their advance probably waiting for a new opportunity to arise or to understand how they lost so many numbers in such short lapse of time.

I gave her some points for stopping and analyse the situation rather than keep pressing forward.

It was unlike me but I waited for their next move.

And it came in the shape of kunais and shurikens which passed through my perimeter. I deduced that she would recur to long range attacks the moments close combat was rendered useless, my strings were very useful against numerous and melee combat but against long range attacks it was practically useless. Yes, I might create a web but its purpose was mostly to sense enemies approaching, bind them and also cut them into pieces. Besides the strength of each string depend of how far they were extended, if I were to extended all over my surroundings they would be strong as normal hair, at least in that state they were still useful to detect enemies nothing more.

Being forced to move from my position and cancel my defensive stance, I was again in the risk of getting overwhelmed by numbers. They simply didn't give me a chance to rest, land, air, or trees; they always surrounded me but quickly dispatched by my strings. But even like that I couldn't keep up; some of her clone were also throwing projectiles at me at alarming rate making me impossible to do a perfect execution of my attacks.

Without much options left I did some hand seals and buried myself in the ground the instant I landed, my vision became dark only for a second only to be replaced by the light of the day the second I resurfaced from the ground and found myself between crowd where I unleashed my weapon against them, popping all of them in one single go using that time as well to find the nearest tree where I didn't hesitate catch some air.

Not much time had already passed and I was feeling a bit tired.

If I wanted to win, I would need to find Naruto in one way or another.

My brain quickly cooked up a plan though I didn't like the execution and the requirements, but at the moment I had no other options.

Performing again a few hand seal I did a dive to the ground, headfirst.

It would have been considerate stupid, but I had been training my earth affinity. It required concentration and good chakra control to pull it off, things I had. I could treat the ground as water meaning that I could fell from a considerable height and receive little damage from the fall.

Being inside the earth felt like diving in water, but I had no vision.

Without losing any more precious seconds I went for the next hand seals for my plan before leaving the underground with a chakra enhanced jump.

I wasn't surprised to find that I was surrounded by Naruto's clones who didn't hesitate to attack me while I was in mid-jump. Unsheathing my tanto I proceed to deal with each one of them before landing on my feet, obviously that didn't stop them from keep attacking me.

But I knew that the sudden hands that were dragging some clones to the underground was enough to shift their attention toward the source of disturbance.

From the ground my own clones raised like the undead.

I couldn't perform a single Kage Bunshin but that didn't mean that I was unable to perform any other type of clones, Tsuchi bunshins.

However only three came out.

Naruto's clones immediately went into action focusing to destroy my clones, they understood that if they were left alone would it make harder for them to bring me down.

Proud and fully standing my clones unsheathed their weapon ran to my position, a direct charge to the infinite army.

It looked like my clones made their way through the army very well, like they were simply running across a grass field, if they were to reach me they would create a perimeter around me giving me time to recuperate and think more calmly.

Sadly my hopes were shattered.

One of Naruto's clones managed to grab him using her it weight in her favor forcing him slow and concentrate to get it off, making a fatal mistake because all other overwhelmed him and was destroyed by a direct hit on the head.

However I still had two remaining clones who finally arrived at my side and took their respective position besides me forming a defensive triangle.

More clones jumped into the action.

However I felt something snap not so far from my position, I smirked in victory.

"It appears...is my defeat." I calmly stated between my tired breaths.

"It seems so." Replied the real Naruto who had her kunai pointing at my throat while having a wide smile on her face, she was really proud of her accomplishment in defeating me. In truth it was mostly stamina the cause of my defeat, she had an endless supply while mine was limited.

The more I kept fighting the more tired I got, my defensive formation failed the moment my movements slowed down creating gaps which Naruto exploited and destroyed my clones. However I wasn't going down that easily, so with the last of my energies I pulled out my second glove and took as may clones I could until I had no energy left.

Leading us to the current position with her pointing her kunai.

"Is kinda unfair you know? You being a jinchuriki and have such ridiculous amount of chakra." I mocked as I let my back rest on the rough exterior of the tree which happened to be right behind me.

"Your weapon was unfair too, so it was a fair fight." She said with a cocky grin, but she maintained her grip on her kunai.

"I must say that you truly have grown into a powerful kunoichi." I wasn't lying, she showed a lot of skill worth of a chunin, Kakashi along with Hiruzen did a damn good job in training her and teaching her how to exploit her advantages of being a jinchuuriki without the need to use the bijuu chakra. "But you still need some training."

And just like that her cocky grin completely vanished from her face replaced with utter shock the moment a the sharp side of my tanto touched her neck.

Well not exactly my tanto but my clone's weapon.

"Is my win." I took some deep breaths before standing up, if I wasn't exhausted I would have laughed at her face; it was priceless to see how fast it changed from victory to defeat.

"H-how?" Was all what she managed to say.

"Silly Naruto." I poked her forehead right between her eyebrows. "It was my plan all along, I think you remember that I hadn't been using my strings when I had been fighting next to my clones. Well I spread them all over our the place so I could find you, and if you noticed I did many unnecessary backflips, I did it so I could channel chakra and create some clones which remained hidden until I could pinpoint your location."

"Ugh, not fair Onii-chan!" Then she proceeded to land a strong punch to the gut of my clone destroying it in the process. I kinda feel bad for ruining her happy mood, but that was life.

Besides there was a reason of why I was a chunin and she was a genin.

"Don't worry, I am pretty sure that some of my cooking will lift your spirit." I ruffled her hair in a playful manner earning her sweet smile.

"I want a very big pizza then."

* * *

 **AN: Guys I wanted to say a few things, for starters a jinchuruki is strong no matter the rank. That is why they are dealt with caution. Second Kichiro could easily defeat Sasuke because Sasuke for starters couldn't perform a solid clone and he didn't have his sharingan leaving him only with his own skills and the fact that Sasuke is a high- genin in term of skills. It was a one vs one battle, the outcome was obvious.**

 **But in Naruto's case she could endlessly create clones and send wave after wave against him putting him into a very disadvantageous position, he might be a mid-chunin in term of skills but he can' fight an infinite army of skilled genins for a long time. He might have fought against many opponents at the same time before however those were limited numbers. So he would eventually get tired no matter what. However if it was a one vs one he would totally win.**

 **Besides I said it since the beginning he wasn't going to be an op character who could fight at the same level of Kakashi or Orochimaru.**

 **I believe I made a fair battle here.**

 **Ja ne!**


	25. Chapter 26

_**Disclaimer: I will find a fluke in the rights of ownership of Naruto and exploit it the moment I present it in the court so I will become partially or completely the owner, so is only matter of time. *Evil Laughs***_

* * *

 **AN: This review reply will be long so you can either skip it or not is our decision after all.**

 **Guest: That's a hard question you got there, but since a there hadn't been given much information about the true power of Hikaru Hyuga then I'm sticking with Haru Uchiha whose full strength had been revealed.**

 **SweetieJack: Shrek is love, Shrek is life.**

 **grabblers: Alright for starters THANK YOU SO MUCH! To know that you give me such a detailed and deep review really fills me with joy. Okay now with your points.**

 **Really most of them? Well I also read a lot of them and very few looked dark for me, or maybe it's because I'm accustomed to dark themes since I love those genres and my standards of what is truly dark are higher than others, anyways thanks to that I'm more accustomed to write dark stories or as you said a dark start.**

 **Yeah, a good point there but is mostly because those kids were born in that environment but for a foreign it will totally affect him or her.**

 **Alright I'm fascinated that you managed to get it right, but it was for the sake of drama! But is the beginning and I know that it will be a bit hard to pull everything correctly.**

 **There are many reasons for joining one of them being keeping close tabs on Danzo and to get access to certain information, but I didn't explained or written them very well that is why I'm revising the chapters and adding as well as rewriting certain parts to put things better and clear for the reader.**

 **Actually, about that part about believable growth, is not exactly correct. As far as I remember in the chunin exams the Konoha 12 were practically the only young candidates in the exams while the rest looked between 15-19 years even adults were there and well I highly doubt that all the teams were nominated because their respective teacher truly believed that they would make it with less than a year of training, except for Team 9. And add to the fact that most of them were members of a clan, I'm mostly following logic rather than canon.**

 **Kakashi strength is relative, some say is very strong without his sharingan while others say he is weak without it, I'm staying with the former since he became chunin at 7 and jonin at the age of 13 or twelve, became an Anbu captain and fought in a war.**

 **You probably forgot that Neji had been training himself to deal with multiple targets with Tenten efficiency in weapons, he knew that Naruto would spam clones and would eventually get tired so it was pre-planned and also canon-Naruto no matter how much he trained in that month with Jiraiya he still didn't have a solid taijutsu style or arsenal to fight with, the only reason he won against Neji was because he greatly underestimated him believing that Naruto was beyond stupid to actually laid a trap for him. And calling that a clone army, a clone army could be called when Naruto fought KImimaro in the Sasuke retrieval arc. This Naruto had been training to maximize the advantages of being a jinchuuriki and had been well equipped with weapons and tactics, it doesn't matter how skilled you are numbers always win as long as they are used correctly.**

 **Yeah you are right, but still I didn't reach that point so why get ahead so soon? Besides I found it laughable that mere genins could defeat seasoned chunins or low jounins, for example Haku battle or the battle against the Sound Four.**

 **With my grammar thing, I really can't discern the mistakes. I had been speaking english over ten years now, so it must have become a bad habit of mine which sadly was never corrected.**

 **Hey, I said it in the beginning I truly love criticism but I know difference between real criticism and outright insults or flames, I had been a writer for a hobby for 3 years so I matured as one, I won't whine or bitch if a critique is a good or bad one. Besides I also do some criticism to others people works.**

* * *

Another day, meaning another day to appreciate life.

Surprisingly enough the training grounds were the best option to seek solace or to find your personal heaven, of course with the requirement to go alone and didn't have any intentions related to training. With enough silence it was possible to hear the nature at its finest, hearing the wind rustling the leaves and occasionally a bird chirping as well was oddly satisfying.

"Keep going you little bitch."

However I wasn't there to relax or to take an afternoon nap, and training was out of the question since I already did my morning routine to keep up my physique and stamina, even if I was on vacations I couldn't ever think to neglect my training or I would be in deep trouble the next mission.

Seconds could make the difference between death and life.

But the reason why I was in the training grounds was for a certain Uchiha who loved to complain a lot, even if I had to shut him up with the end of my fists many times and yet he continued with his whining. His perseverance was ridiculous, it was good that he had such determination and perseverance but it should be applied on his training and not in his stupid ramblings; with that I could see that he was immature.

But I couldn't complain or say that much about his attitude, he was a kid who got mind raped by his brother who loved very much, otherwise I would have said a lot of things which frankly weren't nice at all.

I wasn't being lenient with him by any means, and the way how much he was literary suffering under me showed how little pity I had for his case. Understanding and pity were two differents things.

"I need...rest." The voice of my temporary human seat sounded ready to give in.

"Tell to someone who cares, you need to do twenty more." I coldly replied without bothering to check up on him, after all he took his time and I began to get frustrated by his delay, besides there was one more lesson before I could go back home.

He stayed silent for a moment but then my seat went down and returned, but it was poorly executed I felt like my seat was about to break, his muscles should be on fire by that point yet I felt a sudden surge of strength which wasn't used to finish his exercise but to attempt to throw me away from his body.

"Fuck you!"

Of course he failed, and I wasn't going to let such behaviour pass.

As he badly keep doing his push ups, I thought on a perfect way to get back at him.

With a sadistic smile I began to jump on my temporary seat making it even harder for him thanks to my weight combined with the gravity creating a force which was acting against his arms.

"Twenty five…" But I wasn't that evil, I stopped as I increased the number of repetitions. That was enough punishment for the moment.

"Gah!" He cried out, and I might as well if that would have caught me off the guard.

The reason why I was calm, was because his arms just couldn't handle it anymore and almost collapsed on the spot. However if he would have truly collapsed and his face the ground then I would have heard a painful scream from his part, as well as I would have been able to smell his burned flesh.

That picked up my curiosity to finally check up on him and see what happened.

The first thing I noticed was how close his chest was to touch the red charcoal, and judging by the strained face it was clear how desperate he was to get away from the increasing heat, even if he wasn't touching it directly it was still burning him. But without any strength left, it was only matter of time before his imminent collapse.

I had been weighing on my options as his precious seconds passed, in true his suffering brought me some amusement to my day but if I were to let that happen it would be downright cruel and I wasn't a cruel bastard.

Just a bit of a jerk.

"Careful there, I don't think that it would be pretty if you were to fall on that charcoal." I ruffled his hair like you would to a dog who behaved well, he wanted to say something probably an insult or a demand to help him but since he was fighting off the pain he only managed to make choked noises.

Good thing that he was shirtless or his upper clothes would have been set on fire right away.

I didn't do nothing even if the intensity of his incomprehensible noises increased, at least not yet. After all I felt like I needed to give him a clear message of the hierarchy that existed between us.

A couple of seconds more I decided that enough was enough.

"You are quite pathetic, aren't you?" I stood up from my seat and didn't think twice before delivering a hard kick on his gut which sent him away from the charcoal. Once he was on the ground and away from a possible lethal burn, he tried to take in all the air for his lungs as well as finally stretching his arms, in hopes to ease the burning pain that the exercise caused him.

He should have finished and he couldn't, it was disappointing but he had only himself to blame. His big mouth was the sole responsible for me to increase the difficulty until he couldn't do one single more.

"I can't believe you can't do a very easy exercise." Before anything more could be done, I kicked some dirt to the bonfire so it wouldn't cause a conflagration even if it would be quickly taken care of I would be held responsible. Only when was sure that it was completely extinct I walked up to his tired body, but he wasn't that tired if he could shoot me a murderous glare with his immature sharingan spinning wildly.

"You call that easy?!" He snarled as he used both arms to slowly get up from the ground, it was an amusing show since he was struggling to stay straight. I started to believe that he was lying to me about his exhaustion and just wanted to stop, if that were the case then he needed to be taught a very hard lessons for trying to deceive me.

"Is that a complaint?" I raised one eyebrow questioningly, true to be spoken he was complaining and knowing of his attitude beforehand, he wouldn't back down even if that meant to suffer the dire consequences.

He wasn't able to stand on his feet but he had some strength left to keep straight at least with his knees and muster some strength to point at me with an accusing finger.

"Yes! All this time you only had me doing this pointless exercises!" My training regime that I forced on him wasn't by any means pointless or useless, they were to strengthen his mind and body. He didn't know that it was a modified version of the Root training I had to go through, a highly modified version to the point that the worst could happen to him was to get some burns or cuts.

He should be thankful.

"For starters you agreed to this." He didn't have time to react before my foot connected to his chest sending him down on the dirt where he belonged. "Secondly, what did you expect when I told that I would help you? That I would hand you a secret scroll with the ultimate jutsu? That I would do some weird ritual and hand you power?"

Before he could gather his thoughts of what was happening I pulled his hair forcing his body to get up from the ground, and then slamm it back without holding back my strength. He wasn't going to die or suffer a concussion, no permanent but the headache that he would suffer would be enough reminder for him to learn his place.

"And third, don't question me again."

Then I applied pressure on his head with my foot.

"Get real you fucking idiot, the only way to get power is to train your ass off and suffer for it." Again I delivered another kick to his stomach which forced his body to turn around, however his eyes were still ablaze and with the active sharingan.

He sure was persistent.

I liked that, but still that counted as a rebellious act on my book, I kicked some dirt to his eyes.

"Get up you little shit, we aren't done yet." I grabbed one of sealing scroll of my belt and unsealed a bottle of water and a small energy bar for him to consume. I throw both consumables near his form, the bottle landed next to him while the bar landed on his stomach bouncing one time.

"Eat this, you have ten minutes of rest." Then I walked away,

After our little encounter weeks ago, Sasuke accepted my help after his crushing defeat at my hands. However he got the wrong idea as expected, he truly believed that I would give him a shortcut so he would be closer to kill Itachi. And then he began to conclude that I was holding him back like the everybody, obviously I had to beat that idea out of his head.

I wasn't cruel or abusive, even if sometimes I took some sort of amusement from doing it.

At the end I truly wanted Sasuke's sharingan to mature, it could be proven useful at later date especially with twisting his goals in my direction and plant him there so Obito wouldn't be able to get him. I was doing a favour to Itachi technically speaking, and if things didn't turn out like I wanted his fully matured sharingan could be stored for later use.

Though I didn't want them for fight my enemies, I wanted them for their unique ability to cast unbreakable genjutsus on others. It would help a lot in getting things like contracts or getting people to hand me their business for free, the possibilities were endless. But there were few thing that prevented me from removing his eyes, one was Danzo and the second was Itachi. Danzo perhaps didn't want Sasuke in his little army but Sasuke was practically his defense against Itachi, and for Itachi if word got out that Sasuke died or disappeared he would come in a flash to Konoha and demand answers from Danzo who without doubt would cast all blame on me.

And I couldn't forget about the Izanagi, to defy death only for the price of the light of one eye. But it was a trivial thing with not much relevance in my book.

When I felt like the ten minutes had passed I returned where I left him alone, and found him in deep meditation. Never expected him from doing that kind of exercise since it required some degree of inner peace and patience, either way it was time for the last part of his lesson.

"Stand up and activate your sharingan." He did as told.

However I didn't look directly to his eyes, I knew that the sharingan could automatically cast a genjutsus the moment you make eye contact, I didn't want to risk it with him since I believed that with his new activated sharingan he tried to learn all what he could by himself back in his compound.

Of course I looked straight to his eyes moments ago, but he was exhausted and totally driven by his emotions, such things were very important especially when trying to cast a genjutsu.

Yet I wasn't a fool, if he were to manage to put me in a genjutsu I would be able to notice it right away because he still was a novice with the sharingan.

"Good now hit that post until you bleed from your knuckles or break your hand, whatever happens first." I pointed at the thick pole made of wood which wasn't that far away from our position.

"Are you insane?!" His reply came almost instantly, but it was out of shock more than anything. It was clear that Kakashi had been training them to their limits and didn't push further to avoid any sort of unnecessary injury but for me those injuries were also part of the training.

I trained with more harshers method if I, a clanless orphan, was able to do it then a member of the so called Uchiha clan could do it as well.

Without saying another word I walked up to the pole and delivered a devastating hit, devastating to human but for a solid object it didn't do much of a damage except to create a hard noise, but the action made my point clear enough. "Does that answer your question?"

I had good pain tolerance, so that didn't hurt as much as it should.

He gave one last look of surprise before calming down with deep breaths, and proceeded to follow my instructions. The first punch didn't posses the same strength as mine however it caused a loud enough noise to be acceptable as a real punch.

Then I waited.

Sometimes he grunted and groaned making it obvious the pain he was feeling but kept going just as instructed, I noticed how his skin was peeling from his knuckles and showing the red flesh under it but then he did one more hit with his right hand before I heard a crack. I knew that it didn't came from the thick pole of wood, Sasuke was on his knees grabbing his right hand in the verge of crying. I mentally added to increase his pain tolerance in the next session because broken bones were common in the battlefield and it shouldn't affect you until the battle was over.

I grabbed his hand much to his growing pain, and analyzed where the damage occurred. Nothing that a medical nin couldn't fix in less than an hour.

"Very good." Only then I let his hand go. "That's all for today, I hope you are doing these routines back at you house." I proceeded to pull out one scroll and unseal the contents which were for medical uses, a bandage and some disinfectant for the peeled skin of his hands.

He quickly wiped out the small tears tears forming of the corner of his eyes and grabbed the disinfectant first and bite his shirt before applying it on his injuries. After a few muffled screams he grabbed the bandaged his cracked hand.

I could have used my Mystic Palm on him to alleviate some if his pain but I didn't because he needed to learn the pain and how to deal with it, besides he wouldn't have liked to be helped since he could take it as a sign of pity.

After that a small silence formed between us.

"What...what kind of training did you have?" His question got me curious for his sudden change, but mostly about asking something personal about me. Only Naruto was the one who asked me that particular question, and now he was added to the list.

"Worse than you nightmares Sasuke, much worse." I cryptically replied, it wasn't because I wanted to sound cool or something of the sorts. It was because I truly didn't want to remember that dark episode of my life, there were a lot of unpleasant memories after all.

"How so?" Of course being mysterious would only lead to more question rather than avoid them, but that didn't stop me from keep hoping that he could get the message about not asking for things that weren't his business.

But then I remembered what Fuu told me long ago, it was better to speak them rather than keeping them for myself and he was right but I was scared to remember everything, after all the nightmares didn't bother me anymore.

"Remember how I made you do pull ups?"

A knot bean to form around my throat as my mouth became dry in an instant.

"How I couldn't? you put a ridiculous amount of weight in my legs." He scoffed at me, as I snickered at his antics only to take a more somber stance.

I took a deep breath as I pulled out one of the many memories that I didn't want to pull out from the dark hole. At least it was one of the lesser ones.

"Well now imagine spikes all over the bar and a bottomless pit below and then imagine how your instructors throw countless senbons at you without missing a single one." My lips contorted into a very strained smile that it actually hurt, I was trying to sound casual but if he did his homework he could have been easily to spot the defects on my face.

"But you look totally fine, there should be at least some scars left."

"Ha! You don't know the wonders of medical ninjutsu Sasuke."

"Probably I don't…" I looked at him perplexed, truly I had ever expected to hear that from him at least not yet. It was sure a big surprise but a welcomed one at that, so to avoid suspicious I quickly changed from attitude and flashed a wide grin as I patted his head as a good dog.

Of course he got away the moment my hand touched his hair.

"Go to the medial post and get those arms of yours checked."

He grunted and left the training ground by feet, he definitely didn't have enough chakra to jump or run, either way he could faint on the way.

But for me I stayed a moment to enjoy the nature, having free time was a good and a bad thing, good because you had all the time of the world to whatever you wanted and bad because when you finished your list about 'things to do' you would find yourself bored.

But it was kinda a bit of a lie, I could keep training my control over my strings so I could use both gloves at the same time and don't over exhaust myself, my fight with Naruto showed me how much I needed that control or it could be proven fatal in the next mission however for the moment I just wanted to enjoy the breeze that carresed my face and hair, I could start my training half an hour later anyways.

Yet I had to cancel my plans when I found out my inner peace interrupted by the forced sound of rustling leaves not so far from my position.

"Kichiro-sempai." I straightened up at hearing a voice which I didn't expect to hear any time soon, at the same time annoyance was forming along with increasing anger.

"Shin? What are you doing here?" I frowned the moment I confirmed my suspicious, Shin had just landed behind me and showed me the respect he had for me by bowing his head. Even if all of us were in good terms to the point of calling each other friends we never visited each other residence unless it was strictly for shinobi business.

"Danzo-sama wants your presence as soon as possible." Shin quickly answered my question, and I wasn't very pleased to hear that particular answer. I didn't want to deal with any of that and my message was very clear by walking away from the scene.

However Shin wasn't one to give up, I was only able to walk a few steps before he firmly placed a hand on my shoulder stopping me from going anywhere. My frustration was mine and mine alone, holding responsible the old war hawk and not Shin, it would be totally immature if not stupid to vent my anger on him. I simply removed his hand from my shoulder with mine without being forceful. "I'm on vacation, we had a deal."

I resumed my walk.

"He knows but this summon is not to assign you a mission."

I stopped death on my tracks for a moment before I turned around facing him fully and take notice that he was wearing the standard Root equipment which I wasn't very fond of, it wasn't because it was ineffective or something that could affect my performance in the battlefield, I just didn't like to show too much skin, it felt like I was wearing a bra more than anything besides Torune wore all the time a synthetic coat and only took it off when we was going to fight to his one hundred percent.

"Then?"

He gave me a knowing smile before he said something that completely caught my full interest.

"He wants to discuss with you about the future Water Daymo."

* * *

I didn't lose a single second the moment I stepped inside my house, time was literally money in my current situation.

"Kimimaro!"

My call was heard and obeyed in an instant by the last Kaguya who appeared before me one of of his knees with his head down.

"What do you need Kichiro-sama?"

However I didn't remain in a single place, by the time he had arrived I was already opening the secret drawer where I stored my sealing scrolls which were organized depending on their uses.

"Get us four days worth of food and equipment, we are going to Wave country." Despite I was perfectly aware of his state, I was also perfectly sure that a little trip wouldn't do much harm to him besides he wouldn't need to rely on his Kekkai Genkai unless we encountered an B rank missing nin or in worst of cases an A rank.

Besides he still had a considerable amount of time, so I was just maximizing the resources at my disposal.

"As you wish." Kimimaro respectfully bowed one more time and left to his room in his own pace so he could carry out the task given to him without further delay, if I would've told him that it was urgent then he probably have finished in less than five minutes but that didn't matter.

When I felt satisfied with the amount of scroll I had between my arms, I went to the living room table so I could reorganize them again. However I was stopped from doing my task th moment a presence stood behind me. I knew from the feeling that it wasn't Naruto since she was out again with her friends, the reason was for a celebration but didn't exactly what they were celebrating. Anyways they would sure stay very late and probably would crash at the nearest house, I wasn't worried in the slightest since they within the Yamanaka compound so so they were under their surveillance.

But returning to the not so unexpected guest, I didn't need to turn around to confirm that my guest was no other but Shin who had been curious about my house. However that didn't cloud his mind to forget about the matter at hand.

I said before, I didn't want to be bothered by Danzo at all even more if he wanted to assign me a mission but Wave was a whole different story, it was my own business and not directly his, so it was obvious that I would get involved with it no matter what.

Besides Gato would prefer to see a old face rather than a new one, it would make thing go smoother.

"Why are you bringing him?" At first he sounded curious about Kimimaro's involvement but as a shinobi he immediately went to the defensive. Couldn't blame him, he was trained to be like that since he could walk.

"An extra hand is always welcomed you know?" I replied while separating the scrolls designated for food from the scroll which stored survival equipment.

"He might leak information to the enemy sempai." That didn't matter he was still in disapproval with my decision, again I wouldn't cast any blame on him since he didn't know Kimimaro like Torune and Fuu did.

I could use the time in our travel to let him know all about Kimimaro so he wouldn't be distrustful of him again.

"He? He would rather die than ever think about betraying me. His loyalty is just like your loyalty to Danzo-sama." The finished organizing my scrolls a sudden feel for food appeared, so without any complain I went to kitchen so I could grab quick bite, the whole ordeal made me feel a bit hungry for something sweet after all.

"You mean our loyalty."

His correction made me stop in mid step, watching my foot hanging in the air the realization finally struck me; mistakes were made. I was a loyal shinobi but not to Danzo; just obedient. Fact that my kohai couldn't know or his admiration and respect would be affected.

"...Of course."

The rest of my walk had been spent thinking in a way to how amend my mistake or find way to occupy his mind and so he could forget about it, but no ideas came without raising some degree of suspicious. So I went to search for ideas in the drawers and the cabinet of the kitchen until I stumbled into the box with tea and another with cookies, that would do.

"By the way you want something? Like some tea or biscuits?" I called out as I grabbed both boxes and placed them on the worktop and started my search for the cup and the small plate.

"It would be highly appreciated sempai." I couldn't help but smile in victory, the only thing left to do was to prepare his meal and mine.

Minutes later I handed him his tea and placed on the table a plate filled with cookies meant for him, as I took seat with my own treat, I really loved the pocky sticks.

"Here you go, just be careful it might be too hot."

"Thank you very much."

Shin took his time to enjoy his tea and as well the biscuits, though I didn't know if he truly like my tea since I wasn't an expert in making one, but at least I knew that it was a decent one to fulfill my standards.

Anyways I had my pocky so it didn't bother me at the moment.

"Senpai, how is my nii-san doing?" He looked at me while taking another sip from his cup, but I my attention diverted to his sudden question. In all honesty I had been waiting for that particular question the moment he appeared before me, he was just worried that Sai wasn't making any progress and be discarded as the other failure and stored for later use which mostly involved in suicidal attacks with zero chances of survival.

"He is much better, a lot better I can assure you"

"How long until he's fully recovered?"

"That's hard to answer, I mean, yes, he talks more and more though sometimes he can act a bit weird but inside the acceptable parameters. And he is making friends with some of the rookies of this generation." Well I wasn't doing something directly, it was all Naruto's work along with Sai's eagerness to learn about social skills and how the people worked in the society. And she had been doing a good job so far, he was in good terms with all the heirs but not much with Choji for obvious reasons.

He still haven't learnt about correct designation of nicknames.

"Anyways who else will accompany us?" Since I was going more like a messenger or diplomat whatever the name fitted better, and as one I needed an escort even if I could defend myself quite well.

"Nobody else."

"What?" I flinched at his quick answer, but mostly because I never expected to hear that even if not a single clan agent was deployed it would have been fine with normal Root shinobis, but to nobody else?

"I will be the only escort you will have."

I pondered about the situation, it just didn't sit well with Danzo's character, he was paranoid and never underestimated others, he studied the enemy very well beforehand. It was too risky to move with so little support, Torune and Fuu were enough since we were a team and could fight very well no matter the situation but with Shin, we had good teamwork but not at the same level.

There was an ulterior motive behind that order, one that I couldn't find yet leaving me with the only to be always on guard.

"Well even more reason for Kimimaro to tag along." Then I grabbed the remaining pocky sticks and broke them in two so I could eat all of them in one go.

It was my business and I decided how to handle it, nobody would tell me how to do it.

"I have already finished Kichiro-sama." I was glad of Kimimaro's arrival, it was just so synchronized and I loved the feeling of efficiency by wasting any second. And as expect from him, everything was organized separated in groups according to the uses and quality of each item.

However considering the amount we were taking, it would be fair for Naruto to be left with very little supplies. So a letter with a good sum of money could solve the problem unless she was irresponsible with it, possibility that was more like an impossibility.

And Hiruzen could help her if it wasn't enough.

"Good we are leaving tomorrow morning." But before I started to seal our stuff I flashed a considerate smile to Shin who still didn't finish his meal. "Go have some rest, kohai."

It was more like a signal for him to drink the tea as fast as possible, it looked like he was taking one of those one-shot but the way he placed the cup aftermath was with elegance yet I snorted when he quickly grabbed one cookie before walking to the window which was wide open.

"I bid you goodnight."

And he was gone with a breeze of the cold air of the night.

After his leave I resuming my task while giving another task for Kimimaro, the reason why I was taking my time was because I was humming a catching tune which I forgot where did I hear it in the first place.

"I wonder what I should buy first…."

* * *

 **AN: And another chapter had been brought to all of you, I hope that it was for your liking.**

 **And I felt like doing a little rant so you can simply skip it.**

 **GUYSWTF ?!**

 **I usually check the tops of the days, I mean fav counts within 24 hours update and well the list had been infested with….yaoi.**

 **OMG, I felt sick and then there was yuri...I wanted to throw up.**

 **But what made it worse was when there was HAREM for both of them, and the eye bleeding MPREG.**

 **Some people should have been born without hands….**

 **It made me weigh my options, between gouge my eyes with a rusty screwdriver or give up my faith in humanity forever. Then it came to mind why would I consider that as an option and well is because we live in a democracy and every American has the God-given right to stick their penis in a scorpion nest if they want to ya commie.**

 **Look is not that I hate them, they are human and hating them for that fact alone is like hating a person because they like cake instead of ice-cream. But I truly believe that there should be a Fanfiction TAG so we don't stumble into those stories and read it without knowing until we reach THAT part, truly it wasn't a nice experience i tell you.**

 _ **Ja ne!**_


	26. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: Kishimoto! I have trained in the arts of trolling for one day and have no hesitation to use it against you if you do not hand me the rights of Naruto, I'm waiting for them!**

* * *

Silence can be both good and bad signs.

We always prefer silence to use to ponder about ourselves and as well as meditation in hopes to find the so called inner peace. But in the outside; the real world, specially in a place that could be practically a forest, the silence was a very bad and unnerving sign. It shouldn't be like that, the local wildlife always but always do a sound and when there was not even a chirping of a bird then it could only mean that they were gone, something scared them away.

In normal circumstances the reason behind the silence could be a large predator which entered the area, but for us the silence told us the unwanted presence of potential if not already enemies.

"We aren't alone."

Shin was the first to bring up the topic, however I was already aware of what was happening but was very doubtful of how I should proceed. MIssing nins were wild cards, especially when they were preparing themselves to ambush.

I had dealt with them and a month ago I came to wave also to hunt them, but in that time I had my original team, and I couldn't forget that Fuu was a natural born sensor he was our radar.

"Yes, I noticed." They might not be near and probably neither watching every step but they were definitely around, that was enough reason for me to pull out my catalyst and activate my strings to set up a mobile perimeter.

"Probably missing nins, they are just watching to confirm if we are bounty hunters." I commented, while my strings kept their search for any ninja that could be lurking around. However if I were to find them I wouldn't be able to do anything except to pinpoint the location, the amount that my strings had spread was too much.

But there were more importants things to focus.

Specially when our surroundings suddenly were enveloped by a thick layer of mist.

"Dammit…" How thick it felt as the air itself was heavy to breathe thanks to the humidity, but that was entirely the reason of why I loudly cursed.

A hand was placed on my shoulder that gently pulled me back until I found myself behind Kimimaro who adopted a defensive position.

"Kichiro-sama this is…"

"Kirigakure no jutsu, that only means bad news." I finished for him, it could have been Wave's weather a natural occurrence. However hours ago, the time of our arrival at the coasts of Wave country the weather never once pointed that we would encounter such sudden environmental change. Missing nins, that was the only possible explanation for the sudden change of events, putting me on edge since I was worried that my strings wouldn't be enough to sense them until they were within our range of sight.

"We should make haste to the town senpai." The sound of metal sliding out didn't make me feel any better, all of us were getting ready to defend against anything that could happen. But as a rational person I didn't want anything to happen, and not only that but at the same time I felt like Danzo was behind this in some way and I couldn't care less if it was true or not.

But my head was needed to be focused and with all my sense at its best, Shin' suggestion was reasonable but for our current predicament it was a terrible decision.

"No, they probably are waiting for that." Besides if they were to catch us in the middle of our sprint we would end up dead or terrible wounded, which would only result in our deaths later. It was safer to keep walking with fast pace, it gave us more time to stay aware of our surroundings. "However remember that any Kiri shinobi worth his or her name can perform this particular jutsu, but only few mastered the Silent killing technique."

And those who mastered it were high ranked shinobi, but I only knew one for the moment; and that person was Zabuza Momochi. If we were to face him, we could end up victorious thanks to Kimimaro's Kekkei Genkai but the damage inflicted on us couldn't be measured, I couldn't even give an estimate. And with Shin, I couldn't even tell if he would be alive aftermath.

I didn't like the odds, but there was one way to put those odds in our favor.

But if it didn't work, it would cost us dearly.

"I can't find anybody, meaning that there are nobody around us or they learnt how to hide very well." After my comment my hand went for my second glove and used my mouth to put it correctly since my other hand was already occupied to keep our relative safe zone active. Without losing more time the strings were activated and began their search for targets.

"I wish we had a sensor with us." Using my strings with both hands was a taxing activity, that was the reason I didn't like to use them very often. Even with my good chakra control keeping a steady flow on both hands while walking was hard, it was like each hand was pouring water from their respective bottles to an empty glass, one single second and one would pour more chakra than it should making my strings visible to the common eye and draining as well.

I needed more training, or maybe some pointers from Suna's puppeteers.

Snap.

That was it.

I felt a snap in my web coming from the east, but by how much they were stretched the weight of a bird could snap them as well, there was no room for hesitation since every second counted. My strings immediately retracted getting closer to our position, so they would strengthen and if I felt another snap then it was clear that it was a person the responsible.

But by doing that I reduced the perimeter, and I was worried that there were others enclosing us from other direction.

"I felt one enter the perimeter."

Kimimaro didn't waste time and removed the upper part of his yukata leaving his chest free while two bones came from his shoulders which quickly snatched becoming his blades.

I got very tense when I felt another snap, it was delayed. It happened moment after the first, but the direction was practically the same. "Now two."

But no more snaps were felt coming from the outside, it was mostly from the inside of my web, just like that I could pinpoint their location constantly shifting according to their movements, and my team did as well of course Kimimaro always standing in front of me ready to receive an attack that could be aimed at me.

Again I reduced the perimeter when their presence got closer, and I kept reducing until my strings were strong enough to be unbreakable by sheer amount of brute force. I was waiting for them two stop moving and if m guesses were correct then our possible enemies were Zabuza along with Haku.

Zabuza would be the first to engage while Haku stayed behind waiting for an opportunity to finish us or to save Zabuza if things went for the wrong direction. But since I wasn't a sensor I couldn't exactly tell who was who, perhaps the first to enter was Haku and the second Zabuza or vice-versa.

It was a gamble but I opted that the second one was Haku, if not then we would soon be dealing with a very complicated situation.

And just as I had been waiting, they stopped moving stationing themselves to our sides without truly revealing their presences, those trees worked perfectly as hiding spots.

"Kimimaro get ready to protect me, Shin support him."

"Hai!"

"With my life Kichiro-sama."

I stopped channeling chakra to my right hand since and went for my pocket to grab one of chakra disruption seals, my hopes were that Haku was on our left side so all my strings were carefully moving around the position of the fake hunter-nin while my team created a barrier to my right since from there Zabuza would attack, however I feared that he would just throw his sword at us, the size and strength would be too much for them to handle and the only outcome I could see was Kimimaro receiving the full end of the swing but stopping it with his bones or end up with a deep wound.

Many deep breaths were taken to calm my growing anxiety, it was normal no matter how experienced you were the nerves would always be there.

"NOW!" With all the strength I could muster even with the help of my hkra I yanked all my strings.

The moment my command left my mouth everything felt like was moving very slow, from my left I noticed the flying body of my capture, I would be filled with relief since the one I captured was Haku who couldn't stop the trajectory of his body, but as I said I couldn't get distracted in that time my vision diverted to my right and noticed that Kimimaro along with Shin were holding back Zabuza's sword which was definitely directed to me.

If they weren't there to protect me I would have been cut in half.

However I quickly snapped from the sudden trance of a close meeting with the death the moment I heard Haku's body finally landing within my range giving me access to place the seal that I had been preparing.

"Fuin!"

One down and another one to go.

"Kichiro-sama!" Thanks to his warning I barely had the time to dodge the wide swing from Zabuza. The strength that he used was enough to cut me in half again if the wind that it created was any indication.

I knew how stupid would be to stay close, and Kimaro appeared in front of me stopping the second swing from reaching my body. Moment which I used to escape along with Haku's body to a safer position.

Of course Zabuza wasn't going to allow my escape but the last Kaguya wouldn't let him to get close to me again. Kimimaro was more livid than before, feeling that probably came when he failed to keep the missing nin at bay leaving me open to attacks endangering my life. Usually he is reserved and very calm even in the middle of battle but his anger was clear on his eyes as he keep attacking Zabuza fueling his attacks with his anger. Meanwhile Shin just left his side to come to mine, a silent understandment was made between us. He wasn't at Kimimaro level to begin with, he was more a liability than actual help. However he wasn't useless and he proved how useful was by placing his tanto r right above Haku's throat, he would have proceeded with the kill if I didn't stop him.

Zabuza totally noticed our silent threat and stopped himself from his attacks but that didn't stop Kimimaro from keep fighting, moment he exploited by delivering one of his devastating spinning hook kicks which was barely blocked by Zabuza's arm and pushed away.

Both took their respective positions and a considerable distance from each other.

However as we expected he remained on the spot not moving at all but keeping his dead stare on us while keeping a tight grip on the shaft of his gigantic blade which was resting on his right shoulder.

Kimimaro wasn't one to attack first, it wasn't his style. And his dances were more fluid when he was in the defensive or to deliver a proper counter attack, then everything seemed forced which affected the execution and efficiency.

Then silence befall upon us.

In other words he was going to hear us or at least pretend to do so.

"Zabuza Momochi, Kirigakure no Kijin. Why do I owe the pleasure?" There was no hint of mockery but to state the facts and reveal that we knew our position just as we wanted to make it clear in which position he was.

However there was no response from his part, well at least not a verbal one. It caught me completely off the guard when he proceeded to do hand seals in rapid succession skyrocketing our adrenaline as Kimimaro immediately jumped in front of us. But then he had a very abrupt stop.

I was confused at first, but then I understood the reason of his hesitation when I noticed from the corner of my eyes that Shin had just made a small cut on Haku throat, it wasn't life threatening at all and it would close in due time and with some clean water.

Either way thanks to his quick thinking we avoided a very sticky situation, sadly I didn't have anything with me to congratulate him, words should suffice but at later date since we still had our hands full with a missing nin.

However I could let his sudden reaction slide, every action spoke better than words after all. Yet I couldn't really tell if he truly cared for Haku's life, but he stopped when said life had been put on danger meaning that he had some attachment either as an irreplaceable tool or as human who truly cares.

Either way I was glad of the temporary outcome.

"Do I need to remind you that we have captured your companion?" Shin used his weapon again making another light incision on the unprotected neck.

However he looked unfazed at the sudden threat, perhaps he already steeled himself to bluff his way out.

"What are you talking about? You only helped me to get rid of that pesky Hunter-nin." I was correct, but he did the mistake to show attachment in the beginning it would cost him a lot and I couldn't care less if that would mark me as a coward, I had been marked as one already since Root didn't have any shame or honor. One needed to be smart as well to survive in the shinobi world, honor were only for the dead and the Samurais.

"Hunter-nin?" I tilted my head in mock doubt. "Then we must inspect this Hunter-nin." My hand moved in signal to Shin to begin with the task, since I was focused on Zabuza reaction and possible outcomes, besides Shin was more accustomed to those kinds of situations.

First he kneeled and removed the porcelain mask, only to hesitate the moment the mask was off. In true I already could tell the reason but he was unaware of that fact and since he didn't have his shinobi mask it couldn't be helped to fall victim to the beauty for the first time.

But there was one little detail which I truly wanted to confirm, and the more time my mind revolved around the question the more I wanted to confirm if Haku was indeed a boy.

"That's enough!" It was thanks Zabuza's voice that snapped me back to the reality, and when I realized I found my hand very close to the chest area, more specifically where the breasts were located.

I didn't want to admit it but I felt embarrassed for falling like that, and the dry and judgmental look that Shin was giving me wasn't much help either.

If a the situation was different then I would have laughed it off and move on.

Though it worked very well against Zabuza so at least something could be salvageable to save my image just a little, I could always paint my way out.

"Why were you following us?"

"I thought you were bounty hunters."

It was reasonable answer but not a complete one, missing nins would rather avoid bounty hunters and hunting them would bring no benefit at all, except for the possible loot that they could be carrying.

However they started by setting up the battlefield to their favor, that didn't point at all to try to hide from us even if we weren't bounty hunters. I knew that there was a hidden reason for trying to ambush us in the first place but I simply couldn't figure it out.

"Is that all?"

He didn't say anything, and if I remained in silence wouldn't do any good for already tense atmosphere that was hanging around.

"Very well, what business do you have in Wave?" It was asked out of the blue without any real motive, it was a gamble of very low chances of success. Besides I already had Haku to answer me those questions.

"None of your business brat." It was amusing to see that stubborn and aggressive attitude of his despite the current situation, it was idiotic to act like that but those were the consequences when the emotions showed up in the frontline.

Thanks to the mist I couldn't tell see the sun position and give an estimate hour, but it wouldn't be much difference since our little encounter probably didn't took much time to begin with. Most battles or skirmish take the same time as well or they just ended within seconds.

I just wanted to get to the town.

Get a company all for myself.

And start spending my hard earned money, after all I had already decided what to buy first.

"We are keeping this shinobi then." I didn't give him time to think of a reply before I pulled out one of the special scroll and proceeded to seal Haku inside it.

"Bastard!" That was the last thing he said before I heard a clashing sound from the coalition between his sword and Kimimaro's newly formed bone weapon, though it actually looked more like an arm made of bones.

He never ceased to amaze me with his unique Kekkei Genkai, perhaps that was one of the reason of why Orochimaru bothered to keep him alive as long as possible. However I got concerned about how much strain in his body the fight caused him, he couldn't become weak just yet. Though after Wave I would go for Tsunade and hire her service as a medic.

Zabuza leaped away just in time before Kimimaro's weaponized fingers reached his upper body, a relative safe distance had been created giving time to recover and return all the extra bones that he just produced back to his body.

"This...you are a Kaguya, aren't you?" Zabuza spoke his mind out loud, realizing who was truly his opponent. But it also surprised me that he just realised that Kimimaro was once a member of the Kaguya clan, after all he possessed the characteristic red dots on his forehead.

Unless he didn't have the chance to fight one until now.

"Trash like you should learn their place in presence of my master." Kimimaro voice was a very kind and soft one, it made you feel welcomed speaking with him but he was angry that gentile tone was replaced by coldness bathed with venom which you could feel go under your spine if you were a weak willed person.

"Your companion will be under our care for the meantime, perhaps we can speak later at the town in better terms." I suddenly voiced my proposal to break the ice wall that formed between us, yet it only increased the tension between us as well as the new KI made itself present around us.

However that amount of KI could be compared as a cold breeze in the open at most, it made me go back in my days when just a tiny bit of real KI could actually made me go on my knees.

"What makes you think that I will let all of you just walk away?" The strength of the grip on the Kubikiribocho increased as the body stance leaned forward, but before the first move could be made Kimimaro's imposing figure stepped forward while showing his newly created bone structure, he looked like an iron maiden but with the spikes going outwards, quite a frightening sight if you were on the wrong side.

The possibility of an unavoidable battle had always been taken into consideration, and as quick as I could think there wasn't any way to actually avoid it. Zabuza was going to recover what was his by any means necessary, and we were on his way.

The growing anxiety within was becoming unbearable for every half second passed, but I knew that it was stupid to let my emotions to control my decision; if fight was unavoidable then so be it.

I was going to fight and come out victorious, Kimimaro draw all the focus on himself giving us opening to strike an important part.

Yet an insect stung my cheek breaking my focus on my target, out of instinct my hand went to kill the pesky insect but before it reached the side of my neck the realization hit me.

"We outnumber you."

The reaction was almost immediately, a dry and menacing laughter came from him yet he didn't move. "You are only a bunch of brats, besides what makes you think I'm alone?"

He just revealed that he had others hiding, but the question why they didn't come out when all hell broke loose? Unlike Haku I was pretty sure that those two would jump into action, and go for easy shots, besides I didn't pinpoint their location because all my strings were withdrawn.

Maybe it was a mistake, I should have set up the perimeter again once the capture was successful but no point in crying over spilled milk, after all nothing bad had happened just yet.

"Because you truly are, don't you see?"

Just after the words left my mouth the Root agents left their hiding spots in the trees and landed near my position, but two of them landed with bodies on their shoulders.

I did quick revision to the agents, I was able to recognize some of them but I didn't need my eyes or proof to tell that Fuu and Torune were among the squad, after all the two of them always worked together and Torune was the one to tell me of their presence.

But there was something amiss between them, I couldn't seem to find the one who was leading them.

"Here catch." And it wasn't something to get overworked with, he or she was probably waiting for my stupid squabble to end and return to their respective mission.

Zabuza was a jonin, an A rank missing nin but it was perfectly obvious that he couldn't win against numbers, also he was unaware that between them there were a few jonin level Root agents.

I waited for them to seal the bodies before speaking again.

"You see now?" I wasn't one to mock the enemy, specially on missions but I decided to let it slide for once. The feeling of superiority, the fact that you are holding the figuratively holding the heart of another person was toxic and addictive, I could sympathize with tyrants to some degree.

However there were things that didn't quite fit very well in the situation, starting with the presence of other agents. Even if I was glad of their sudden appearance and well timed intervention, I just couldn't ignore the real reason of their presence especially the reason of Danzo plans involving me in wave. And there was one fact that didn't go unnoticed by me or better said any of my team, when we reveal ourselves to the enemy they would be already on the ground dead yet they just revealed themselves.

As much as I hated to admit, I had been used for something that will not benefit me in any way.

That cunning bastard.

And I hated even more the fact that I still couldn't decipher his plans.

"How can I believe you that you will come? The Kiri missing nin broke me out of my deep thought with his own question, but I couldn't care less for him and his life. Haku had much more value than him in all senses, but I didn't have a solid plan regarding both of them.

If things didn't work as I wanted then I would just get rid of Zabuza when the opportunity arises, knowing that I had back up we could kill him at the spot and be done with it.

Only a signal, a confirmation to proceed.

"You shouldn't, after all we are shinobi."

I didn't.

The idea was tempting, but that wasn't my style. It wasn't how I proceed with my plans, that was Danzo's way.

"I will hunt you down if you don't come." Zabuza said his last warning, yet it didn't bother me in the slightest. I had been dealing with many threats before and the only ones who could truly scare me came from a few individuals which I would never dream to be in their bad side.

The gentle breeze caressed my skin just for a moment before taking Zabuza with it, becoming the first to leave from our little gathering. However we weren't safe, it was never safe.

I looked around analysing all the porcelain mask from my place, until I caught the ones which I had been searching since the beginning. "Now that explain why any of you weren't assigned to escort me, but why are you here?" It was both necessary and curiosity, however I never got my answer when another Root shinobi landed between us.

"That's classified information."

I straightened up when I took a good look at the features of the equipment or better said the lack of it but what truly caught my eyes was the mask which had a big pair of eyes painted in brown.

Each clan agent had an standard mask which could diference them from the rest, of course all agents had different mask but their mask had special features which were directly related to their respective clan.

"So you are in charge of this mission, Hyuuga?" That mask belonged to the Hyuga agents, I usually didn't have problems with any other agent but that particular Hyuga was a different story. I didn't want to go for further details but our personal issues never once interfered in the missions if we were paired together, yet when missions were over I needed to watch my back every single second while I was inside the HQ.

"I will neither confirm or deny the veracity of that question." I truly didn't want to get more involved with that Hyuuga, a lot of discomfort it brought me; feeling that didn't go unnoticed by Kimimaro who walked besides me and step in front of me in a protective manner.

After his oath to me he had been there to protect me against the Hyuuga agent.

With a grateful smile I patted him on the back before directing my attention to my original team.

"Anyways, your help was highly appreciated. So Torune, did the Oni Kyodai have a Kekkei Genkai?" I was curious, even if nothing would come for me my curiosity needed to be satisfied and also to keep tabs on Danzo and the experiments regarding the Kekkei Genkais.

"Negative." The monotonous voice made me realize that they were wearing their shinobi mask, it was a fact which I should have expected since the leader of the team wasn't me but the strict Hyuuga.

I wanted to catch up with them but it looked that it wouldn't happen any time soon, even more that the pesky Hyuuga appeared between me and Torune looking me straight to the eyes.

"Aburame." She didn't divert her glare as she spoke in a very harsh and threatening tone, it was enough reason for Kimimaro to jump into action not to fight but to quickly pull me away any potential harm.

Normally I didn't mind to be protected but for him to act like that especially in front of many familiar eyes could affect my image, specially Shin's opinion. Of course, he protected me against Zabuza but that was different; his actions made me look like I couldn't protect myself, even if I was aware of the big gap in fighting skills between the Hyuuga and me I still could hold my ground.

But nothing could be done at the moment expect to show my exasperation by rubbing my temples with my hand."I see that your leader is a _**bit**_ impatient, we will meet another time."

No more words needed to be exchanged, I turned and resumed my way to Wave so I could finish my business. Kimimaro followed close and Shin quickly went to my side.

"Why do you never get along with her, senpai?"

I could only sigh, just like Shikamaru would say; women are troublesome.

"To this very day I still don't know." A mystery which I wasn't willing to resolve.

On our way I had the surge to speak with Kimimaro and tell him about his habits and other things but it wasn't the time and I could speak with him back at Konoha without any pressure or curious people hanging around.

Another thing about him wa that we had to resume our way by walking instead of going at standard shinobi like before, it was just an act of consideration for Kimimaro. And it would only last for the remaining of the day, the following one we would resume on our standard speed.

"We will set a camp here." I grabbed one of my sealing scroll and throw it to Shin who proceeded to unseal its contents while Kimimaro began to set everything in order.

In the meantime I pulled out the other scroll which had a special guest inside who I needed to speak with. But I didn't unseal Haku right away, first I waited for Kimimaro to finish his task before I called for him.

"Kimimaro, I might need your help." A considerable time had passed and Haku could be already awake waiting for an opportunity to fight back, it was a possibility which I didn't want to take any chances. I was sure I could defeat him or her, thinking about the gender I also wanted to confirm which gender he or she belonged.

Before I channeled some chakra to the seal my other hand had already prepared another chakra suppression seal. Kimimaro leaned his head forward and I immediately diverted my gaze away from him, he was preparing his vertebral column which would be used to restrain Haku.

It sounds easy but it was actually a bit disgusting to watch.

Without wasting any more time I unsealed causing a small cloud of smoke, to that point everything was going accordingly but then I had to side step to the left when several senbons came out of the cloud.

My concerns were correct, he or she was already awake.

I only needed to place the seal and it would be over, but I needed to trap Haku first who just jumped away while keeping the ranged attack. There was no way that our little prisoner would stay and fight, it could be tell by the pattern of how the senbons were thrown.

I didn't need to utter a single word or do a signal for Kimimaro to get to work, his spine was used a medium size whip which quickly latched on the feet and dragged the fake hunter nin back to the beginning.

But there was no rest for Haku, the moment the body touched the ground he/she had all limbs restrained by the spine tightly wrapped giving me enough time to place and activate the seal.

All struggling ceased when the seal did its job, but unlike the others seal he/she didn't fall unconscious at the spot, it only produced a very weakened state to the target not allowing the use of chakra at all.

At first I was surprised at how quickly Haku was defeated, I knew that Kimimaro would win but never expected so fast. Not like I was complaining.

"What have you done to me?" The anger and frustration as well could be heard, yet there was no hint of submission or defeat. Yet it didn't matter to me or any of us; I simply called for Shin to move Haku's downed form to recently set up bonfire.

Once there Haku's glare only hardened as while the KI increased, but it was very weak. Unlike Zabuza's KI, it felt like an annoying fly which didn't know when to stop.

"I will need your complete cooperation." I was the first to speak since I was clear in my objectives, I could bullshit my way but it would take time and a lot of words things that I didn't feel like spending at all.

"I would rather die than betray Zabuza-sama." Haku was quick to refuse even if I didn't offer anything for persuasion. But it wasn't in my intention to attempt persuasion right away.

"Why so radical?"

"You will never understand."

I could understand but I was never in that place or experienced the strong need to be acknowledged by anybody no matter who, yet we could sympathize with the fact that both of us lost everything for something that we didn't have any control or partial control in my case.

It took me a moment to realize the perfect person for the job.

"Because you are only a mean to an end, correct?" My argument quickly brought full attention, and a faint smile to my lips for indirectly telling me that I was correct.

"Kimimaro, tell...her your reason of existence." Hesitation was the first thing that came out from my mouth when the true gender of Haku came into scene, and I decided for the option that I prefered to be true, such a beautiful face only belonged for girls and that was final.

"I'm a boy."

Silence.

Truly an uncomfortable and pregnant silence.

However the moment I glanced to my right I could notice the look of horror from Shin's face, it was like he just witnessed the most traumatic and horrifying experience ever, couldn't blame him since I would also be like that.

The only one who was totally unfazed by such declaration was Kimimaro as expected.

But for me, I was denying it with all my being, it simply didn't do justice.

It was unfair.

It was an insult to my pride as a man.

I might be marked as a horrible human being but the end justify the means, my tanto found it way to the open and did a vertical slash out of instinct cutting everything that was on its way, and that was part of Haku kimono, the chest area to be exact.

Both sides separated just after the cut was made revealing a lot of bandages wrapped around the upper chest which was around and giving form to two good arguments to fight back the last statement and turn it completely invalid.

It took her exactly two seconds for her to shriek in terror and struggle to somehow cover HER shame, quite a difficult feat to accomplish since she was totally restrained. So from the bottom of my heart I decided to be a merciful person and provide her the cover which she desperately searched for, it came in form of a blanket which was obtained from other sealing scroll.

She didn't say anything but her hardened glare lost a lot of credibility and power since she had a very cute blush on her face.

Still, I believed that she overreacted, it wasn't like she had her breast in the open, those bandages worked like an improvised bra after all.

Haku was a girl, I couldn't begin to describe how happy and relieved I was.

"Boys do not posses breasts, however Kimimaro talk with her perhaps you can succeed..." I held my hand up."And just talk, no threats or weapons."

My hand gently tapped Shin's back returning him to the living world, well he was already coming back but I accelerated things since the shock still lingered in his system. I wish I had camero to take a picture of his face, it would have been gold for the future generations.

"Come with me."

The two of us pretended to walk away from the scene but when I felt we walked enough I took the lead in climbing a tree so we could observe from above.

"Why are we letting them be alone?"

"Because they are very much alike, both of them want to be useful, want to be acknowledge no matter what is the task and who is the person they serve" The world shaped them like that and they accepted it with open arms, it was both good and bad things. Besides I had high hopes that they would end up with an understanding between the two so she would be more willing to speak.

Kimimaro's task was to make her see reason, to let her know that we only wanted to ' _help'_ her and Zabuza, since both of them possessed tragic and similar past it would make things easier. If things didn't work out as expected I always had Fuu to reprogram her, well it wasn't a complete brainwashing, it was more like implanted suggestions.

"That sounds sad." A very true commentary but also a fact that I would take exploit until there was nothing more to exploit.

"I know but now be quiet, I want to hear."

* * *

 **AN**

 **Overwatch is the shit! Enouff said!**

 **Nah just kidding there, though it is also true since this chap would have been released a lot sooner if I didn't spend most of my time playing Overwatch, don't judge me.**

 **Anyways Haku is a girl too, deal with it though many of you actually prefer Haku as a girl in all honesty. Most stories I've read Haku was a girl and very few stayed as a boy though sadly between those was the disgusting Yaoi along with Mpreg.**

 **Though there were some mangas that I just found that I couldn't stop reading until I read all the existent chapters, more are coming soon, I truly recommend you to read them:**

 ** _Vinland saga_ ; (mature audience for gore and some sexual themes) is about the danes and the invasion of england, those time. An story about revenge and lot of action and learning what a true warrior's means, though just read until chapter 100 is a truly fitting end since the next chapters are lame in comparison.**

 ** _Helck_ : A hero who wants to become the Demon King because he hates humans. Omg where to start? I truly don't want to spoil anything so I will describe my feelings, it started all hilarious funny and more, very happy setting and I was hyped to keep reading UNTIL…. the real world situation is described and we go into the past events and I was like NOOOO give me back my happiness and laughs! This isn't fair pls! And I even doubt that the hero will actually win, everything seems going downhill…**

 ** _Goblin Slayer_ : Following the story of a man whose only purpose is to kill Goblins, A very realistic fantasy world even more the weaponry and the uses and move sets. But returning, when I mean realistic I truly mean it. There aren't any fantasy cliches especially with the typical young adventures venturing in a dark cave. It has a bit of Dark soul setting and how cruel a world filled with monster can be, if you fucked up YOU FUCKED UP. This is also for Mature audience since it has a lot of graphic stuff but more for the gore, sexual themes(rape) are hinted.**

 **I guess that's all for today!**

 **Ja ne!**


	27. Chapter 28

_**Disclaimer: Kishimoto I challenge you in a Smash Bros Melee battle for the rights of Naruto!**_

* * *

In hindsight what just happened was my own fault and nobody's else.

Blaming others for my own mistakes or seeking revenge to the perpetrators was an immature act to follow, besides there wasn't much of a loss; yet those reasons didn't help at all to ease my frustration and anger.

But at the same time I couldn't bring myself to actually hate that particular midget and curse his name with all my might or pursue him and beat the crap out of him since that was how business was.

And I couldn't forget to add that he technically never tried to rob me or swindle me with the contract, he was a rational and logical person. I was the idiot for didn't research further than necessary or what I believed was necessary.

Of course I did a good research of Gato and Wave and most of his companies spread all around the world, but what didn't do was to do a deep research on Wave shiping company and its real purpose.

To put it simply the company itself was a partial support one which didn't generate any income at all, it only helped the others with the import and export of their respective products, even more most of the equipment or ships were property of the other companies; practically I was the owner of an empty shell and I couldn't do anything about it.

Son of a bitch…

That actually explained why he didn't do much of a fuss when I was setting the price, said fact made me realize that I sold the Daymo seat for an empty shell. The new Water Daymo must be laughing at his new home; such a bastard who taught me a good lesson for my new life and road to success.

However that was only the first problem that I had in my hands, though the second one was less difficult to deal with but it would take time to solve it which I lacked, and it would take even more time if I wanted to do without creating a big commotion.

Truly it was a headache to even think about it.

"Here is your beverage Kichiro-sama."

Forgetting my problems for at least a few seconds I enjoyed the tea which Kimimaro prepared just for me to calm my nerves. Feeling such refreshment in my mouth it made me realize that at least the refrigerator and the food storage were full, perhaps an idea might come to mind with that.

"You have improved Kimimaro, though next time add a bit more of sugar."

"Thank you very much."

I took another sip from the cup and began a train of thought with a refreshed mind, hopefully a solution would be found. But I hoped too soon, it never came since I was interrupted in the middle of the formulation by a couple of knocks which came from the door.

What a drag.

I drank all the contents of the cup in one ggo before answering, after all it might be cold when whatever situation has arisen was finally over.

"Come in."

Who could have guessed that the responsible of my distraction was no other but Haku herself, right behind her was Shin being her guard so she wouldn't dare to do anything funny. Though the possibility that she would actually try were low, since thanks to the talk between her and Kimimaro truly gave excellent fruits.

They clicked.

Haku was fascinated by Kimimaro resolve to serve and protect me with his life, and Kimimaro was also intrigued by Haku devotion. Though their purposes were vastly different; Haku was the tool for one man ambition while the other was to help the understanding of life, yet Haku surprised me by indirectly telling that she held some distaste of her purpose.

Of course she quickly corrected that indirect line.

I couldn't help but wonder how broken she currently was.

It was obvious that she was had been broken much worse than Kimimaro, and I was completely ignorant of how Zabuza handed her mental state. How could I say that she was far worse than my dear Kaguya? It was by simple deduction, Kimimaro had been an outcast for who know how long, living inside a cell the moment his unique Kekkei Genkai had been revealed. No affection since the beginning was his start. Unlike Haku who was showered with love and affection from a loving and humble family until her Hyoton showed up; triggering the true colors of the world at very young age; to witness the worst kind of betrayal and then to experience the cold touch of death simply wouldn't leave. But those were my own deductions from gathered facts and small pieces of information, besides I wasn't an expert in that regard either, but I had talked with Yamanaka agents and they helped me or gave me a few suggestions, Fuu was the one who helped the most.

I truly missed him, after all he could do all the work in that regard and reprogram Haku; so a lot of time wouldn't be spend on her.

"So what brings you here Haku?" Giving the best of my sincere and warm of smiles cultivating a friendly environment to speak, though I wasn't going to expect much from her for the time being.

She didn't speak at first, but before going to take her respective a formal bow was given for proper introduction and only then she delicately took seat in front of me.

I couldn't help but be captivated by her just for little while, and to be honest there was nothing wrong to be attracted to be the opposite sex after all I was a healthy young man. But if it ended that Haku was a boy then I would have committed seppuku to return the honor of a man, however I had no real interest in her besides just being quiet eye catching.

It would only bring more problems than benefits, and Naruto wouldn't approve at all.

But as a man I would enjoy a little more the sight presented in front of me at least for a little while.

"I would like visit the garden, I..."

"Denied."

There was no need to add more words to describe how the mood had perished in an instant, or better said how the friendly environment that I had proposed at the beginning was shattered with a single word.

"But…" There was no point in arguing back so she shouldn't have tried in the first place and I

wasn't one to repeat the same thing twice for others, but a few exceptions that rule could be omitted tho.

Besides even if we treated well that didn't mean much about her position, she was a prisoner and had no rights to actually ask for something.

"No, Shin take her to her room."

Besides it would be an unnecessary risk, she might not be able to use her chakra thanks to the constant appliance of the seal but she still could use her own strength and agility to attempt a escape or Zabuza could be lurking around and take the chance.

Once again I went back in deep thought when Shin left the room along with Haku so the real problems could be deal with or at least think of a potential solution yet I found it hopeless, I never studied for company management or anything related with economy. My real intentions with getting ahold of the company was mostly to drain it until the last ryo and then sell it for a fair price so with the money I could buy a few things for my pleasure and then use to fund some ideas that would require help from others.

However nothing of that could be accomplished...yet.

My newly published book suddenly popped up in my thoughts, in true I didn't give much consideration to it. I was sure that I could get a steady income from it but didn't know if it truly meet the expectation from the publishing house and turn into a flawless success in the market. I could have asked around but didn't since I was focused in other things in my time in Konoha, at least I had something to do in my return.

Moving with the second problem, those idiots could be scared away very easily. Kill their group leaders in brutal ways,send the corpse as warnings and they would be running away with the tail between their tails. However I wasn't a sadistic monster, better said any of us was a cold sadistic monster with thirst for blood; killing or murder was an easy feat but causing unnecessary pain and prolong the miserable life of the victim wasn't something that everybody could handle.

And if we were to do that with our shinobi mask, it could create a backlash in our minds.

I couldn't lie that I never once held an interrogation with my squad, but I wasn't the one to inflict the pain. That was Torune's job, and he didn't need to use any tools at all; only to touch the prisoner and let his nano-insect to do the rest. Being eaten at a cellular level was painful after all.

And the final problem was Zabuza Momochi….

Then the realization hit me.

"Kimimaro I have a task for you." Without any more time from my pocket I pulled out a explosive scroll, it worked exactly like a explosive tag with the exception that it could rely a message before becoming ashes.

"I am all ears, Kichiro-sama."

But I didn't turn to talk to him face to face like I always did with him, it was a small thing I did to show him my appreciation for him but once in awhile didn't hurt at all. Besides I had all my focus in writing a very important message.

"Go to town and start teaching those thugs a good lessons about manners, but don't kill them."

It had zero risks for him since he wouldn't need to rely on his Kekkei Genkai at all because the rabble usually are gathered in small groups and spread all over the place so for him to go for those small groups and beat them to a pulp was an easy feat.

"It shall be done."

I was glad that he knew me well and remained by my side, of course not many could understand our dynamics very well; in other words I wasn't finished giving the intructions.

With a few swift movements of my hand the letter had been written to the last word, a brief but a direct message was enough.

"And if you find Zabuza give him this."

That time no words were said, Kimimaro with the utmost respect bowed and left through the door with a fast but at the same time soft pace.

My plan was quite simple and had considerable chance of success however it was only one phase and no counter measures in case of failure; it came out in the heat of the moment to be honest. However such a thing wouldn't be repeated in a future, especially if many other factors were involved.

The best thing I could do was to put a smile and hope for the best, though a few preparations could be done there and there just in case to pull the odds on my favour.

After all my back side was getting a bit uncomfortable for being inactive for a considerable amount of time, some stretching were needed and also some training for the best investment of my free time.

It was a good thing that the backyard was off limits giving me us some relative privacy from the rest of the world,relative since other shinobis could get access with quite ease.

"Where are you going sempai?" It seemed that Shin didn't took his time to finish the task and didn't spend the time with unnecessary talks, probably he wasn't that interested in Haku which was a good thing since never once her Hyoton was mentioned even in her conversation with Kimimaro; I didn't want Danzo to learn about her not yet at least. And if Shin were to discover it then I would be forced to forget every plan involving her and trade her for something useful.

"To do some training, if you want you can tag along." I needed to improve my string manipulation with both hands after all, but with some company I could always enjoy a good mock battle or perhaps a long philosophical discussion about life and its branches.

Either way company was often preferred over loneliness.

"Could you help me with my kenjutsu?"

"I'm not an expert in that art."

"I know very well senpai but your assassination strikes are intriguing." Finishing with a smile was enough to trigger my ego, and as his senpai I had the obligation to help him in his growth in the field. After all he was my very appreciated kohai, however I couldn't suppress the bitter taste every time Sai appeared in my thoughts.

"I can't argue with that."

The use of my tanto was only to kill the enemy and quickly return it to its sheath, however I was aware that they could notice my tanto tactfully placed on my back so I could do a swift slash with it; but that was part of my style of fighting. With them so focused in the next action they would never notice or feel my threads making its way around them and ending their life with a fickle of my fingers.

But to say that I didn't learn the basics would be a lie, I could fight with it but against a decent kenjutsu user or veteran shinobi my defeat would be only delayed. Besides in all my time I truly didn't bother to progress my strength as a kenjutsu user except to master the basics since the art required time, technique, good reflexes, stamina and more. One could think that a weapon would give an advantage but for that statement to be true required the already mentioned requirements to be meet.

* * *

Two young men meditating in the middle of a small field was by any means strange, it was a quite common occurrence for the Shinobi world since meditation was a chakra oriented exercise and mental fortitude as well.

But also was a good discipline exercise.

And to give more insight to the current feeling could be given with fresh air swiftly caressing the skin with a small hint of frosty sparks all around. Yet I couldn't stay in the same position the remaining of the day, especially since my devoted Kaguya was coming toward us with the calmest of expressions telling me without words that things went smoothly; well I was aware that Kimimaro always had the same calm or expressionless face but when he was troubled or anxious he sometimes showed some hints.

Getting ready to receive him, at the same time I gave one pat to Shin head wordlessly telling to keep his meditation, it would be also his well deserved break since our spar was quite exciting. Even if I could still best him and keep the lead most of the time he always found a way to break a defense and close distance gaining seconds of advantage and putting me in small troublesome situations which were dealt accordingly.

Comparing his own strength, I could say that alone was an excellent front line fighter who could easily deal with the cannon fodder and a few squad leaders; but those categories mostly were confirmed of genins and low chunin. But it had his merits, no complains there.

"Kichiro-sama." His head presented to me while supporting his body on one knee, of course I couldn't help but roll my eyes. A short bow was enough salute and I had repeated the same thing many times; but at least he didn't salute me like that for every little thing just for missions.

A few pats on his shoulders was enough indication to rise on his feet and speak freely to me, besides it would give more positive points from Kimimaro's part despite having already saturated it.

"How was your mission, Kimimaro?"

"Both had been successful."

"You have exceeded my expectations once again Kimimaro." No lie there, he always over excelled in every little task assigned to him but those results weren't always instantaneous however that didn't affect the outcome. With him around the only danger I could be worried would be a numerous group solely conformed of A Rank shinobi any less the Kaguya would show why they were feared.

"I cannot express my happiness from hearing your praises, Kichiro-sama."

Again I patted his back as I allowed my lips to contort into a small smile. Yet it didn't last long, I was never careless in both hostile and ally territory even more with my surroundings. Even in Konoha I wasn't careless too, but the amount of paranoia was very reduced compared in other places.

That was the reasons I set up a perimeter around the mansion in my short training session, if I only had one more teammate I would have placed him as a sentry.

Of course Kimimaro noticed my sudden change demeanor and quickly went in defensive position. But I also didn't remain idle, the snap of my fingers also brought Shinin action so any of us could be caught off guard.

The one who trespassed could only be Zabuza since he had received the message, but why would he try a sneaky approach rather than the direct one like it was indirectly told in the scroll?

Maybe he was just being cautious with us, or he could be trying to find weak spots where he could exploit and recover Haku without any further problem.

Either way I couldn't let my guard down even for a second.

But moving to the matter at hand, he trespassed the south and then he was boarding the east wing; so it was probably that he would end in north or west when he would finally make his appearance. But he probably didn't expect me to have a detection system around the mansion so that could explain why his movements were that simple and didn't show any hint of intentions to mislead my focus.

It was very silent our surroundings but for me was very noisy, feeling how every thread was snapped by his movements yet my ears couldn't catch any sound only increased the common anxiety of a person but those pesky emotions weren't going to affect my performance in the slightest.

"You damned brat." And it came from the east.

All attention went there but my attention was quickly diverted to his body surprising me that he had bandages all over his right arm and with a deeper perception his arm was not the only part which was covered by bandages however I couldn't truly tell how much area was covered thanks to his clothes acting as a cover.

Injuries were a common thing in the battlefield but the need to have entire body parts covered with bandages only indicated wounds from considerable severe burns, the first though was that there was third party lurking around and he had already met them. However looking at his face, especially at his eyes filled with the purest form of rage directed only to me.

It could only mean that Zabuza was injured by the low tier explosion.

My intentions never was to actually kill him or injure him with that special scroll, I simply didn't want to leave any kind of evidence that could relate to me or Konoha in general; so it was understandable to have an autodestruct message delivered.

Was he actually stupid to don't bother to check the scroll for any kind of trap?

Or maybe he held a bit of trust toward the hostile party?

Or maybe I should have left a warning at the end of the letter...

In other words I was partially to blame for his current condition.

Though if he had died in the explosion the nothing would have changed or mattered, is more his death would have been an unexpected but welcomed result.

What was important at the moment was his arrival, of course I didn't remain idle the whole time even when I was theorizing, with him finally in front of us the perimeter could be temporarily lifted so I could form an entire net around him.

I didn't overexert with my training but my muscles complaining and my chakra network feeling the drain of my body didn't make it easy for me to actually complete the net; even if it were just seconds moving my threads to give an organized form was becoming more difficult.

For once I wished that Kimimaro didn't over excelled with his task, I also blamed my sudden desire for training. Shin was more tired than me if I may add, the only one who could be considered top form was Kimimaro.

I simply called him for talk which hopefully could lead to a common ground but thanks to the sudden turn of events talking might have become only a desilusion for us. Yet for a quick deduction he had some patience to talk with us since he actually announced his arrival rather than try a sneaky attack; perhaps he knew that it was a very risky move thanks to his injuries.

So the odds were even.

"Honestly I didn't expect you for at least three or more days."

He was just injured and yet he came with that disadvantage, if I knew if his arrival for starters I wouldn't have gone to train. No point moping for the past, looking to the bright side I already had some plans for him.

"Where is she?"

Of course the first thing he would worry was going to be Haku,

"Warming the bed."

I didn't lie there, but the answer could have many meanings and depending on the emphasis the other party could get the wrong message and that was exactly what I wanted.

It was a quick reaction from his part to leap from his spot with intention to charge at us, but as I said before I wanted that outcome because I prepared my threads to restrain him however I didn't know if it would be enough thanks that his sword cut through some of them.

"Easy there, any of us want things to get messy." And I had my doubts since I found myself struggling to keep him restrained, it was starting be painful for me. As if my hand was being cut over and over again.

Kimimaro stepped in while removing his spine, he understood that my own strength wasn't enough to keep the so called demon in place. With his support he would be fully restrained, or that was the theory.

"Bastard!" Vulgarities aside, he had been temporarily captured. Temporary because my gut feeling constantly told me that he could escape somehow from his binds and cause ruckus. Even taking precautions still didn't help me to reduce that uneasy feeling, if I were to kill him there would be nothing to be worried about.

It was a very appealing idea if you ask me.

For more security Shin took his sword away hiding it somewhere in the mansion.

"You are easily provoked when she is put in the line, that could result in your downfall." Funny thing was that it just happened to him but instead of downfall it brought him an opportunity.

"We aren't enemies but we started with the path of hostility, why don't we rectify it to the path of common interests?"

The eyes filled with hate never subsided, he would be baring fangs at me if it weren't thanks to his bandages which acted as a mask.

"Let Haku go and I will consider it."

I wasn't surprised to hear a demand despite the current situation, but I was glad that Haku was confined in her room until dinner.

"And risk the possibility for the two of you to fight and flee?" Nobody would ever comply such a thing, and despite every single person was aware of that fact many still demanded the same absurdity over and over again. "We are shinobi, promises, honour, morales mean nothing to us."

A silence was his wise choice of words.

"However I found myself in quite a pickle, and if you were to help me then consideration and appreciation would be gained and also your companion would be returned at once."

Maybe, or maybe not.

It would mostly depend of the situation to actually fulfill that particular promise.

"You said it before, why should I believe your word?"

There was no way to hide my humor, in consequence my lips contorted in a faint smile."And my answer is the same, you shouldn't; but there is nothing lost in trying, right?" At the end by doing nothing the doubt of 'what if' will plague you for the rest of your days, besides if he had the guts to refuse then I wouldn't make much fuss about him since he was retrained and injured for the moment.

But I was hoping for his cooperation, it would make things far more simple and save us time so I could return because I had an estimation that before I could return to Konoha; around five more days I would need to stay in Wave so I could set things right and put somebody who is capable enough in charge.

"What is your problem?"

There was no happiness just satisfaction within me, but my smile could have been misinterpreted by everybody around me. Yet it didn't truly matter, what actually mattered was my request.

" ** _Would you kindly_** take out the garbage?"

* * *

 **AN: Let's start with the important thing here, sorry for taking more than necessary. But is with a good reasons though, I had been on holidays so I had a lot of free time for myself and one might think that since I had a lot of free time then I could have spend it writing right? Well the truth is that writing is a hobby mostly used for deal with the stress that the university gives me, so you can tell the reason why i posted so frequently last year, truly very stressful months I tell you. So with a lot of free time, nothing to get stressed with it lead me to mostly spend it that time n others now my classes started so stress will slowly build up, in other words I will be updating with a frequency around herard**

 **Sorry if there any inconsistency or badly written parts to tally will fix some at later date andI will reduce them next chapter that's for sure.**

 _ **OTrizy: There is a difference between 'working FOR' and 'working WITH', but is okay to don't understand at first. Just because he is doing missions doesn't mean that he worked for them, is just like when you rent a car.(best comparison that came at mind)**_

 _ **stevesgaming87: I don't like to repeat myself but I KNOW I need somebody to help me with my grammar. But getting a proofreader is like fishing in the middle of the ocean, and the bait is how popular is the story and as you can see this story isn't that popular yet.**_

 **PDAN: Hey guys increase the MMR of this story by checking the fav &follow boxes…..**

 **Also to support me because it references the story better on Fanfiction.**

 **LUL**


	28. Chapter 29

_**Disclaimer: MMMMMhmmm sorry I don't feel creative for this o** **ne.**_

* * *

Forest were usually places known for their silence or their natural tune, even more when night had befallen on the land. And normally it should remain in such way because any abnormality would be immediately noticed like the sole light in a dark passageway.

Reason why bonfires weren't recommend at all, even more deep in enemy territory but we were in the land of fire a more friendly territory with low chances to being ambushed by enemy shinobis however with considerable chances of being attacked by common bandits who were more an annoyance than an actual threat.

With favorables odd it was clear that the cracking sounds of burning wood would be heard that night; but it wasn't to cook our dinner or to protect us from the local fauna. It was lit out of my own whim to drink hot tea rather than the cold one that was stored.

Objections only came from Shin which was to be expected, after all I had been acting pretty bad if not not downright terrible for the last couple of days.

Even if it was within justified reasons, it was not an excuse to constantly disrespected them both directly and indirectly.

"Here is your tea Kichiro-sama."

Snatching a cup from the hands and drink without even bothering to show any appreciation was a clear sign of disrespect, deep down I knew I shouldn't be treating my most loyal companion in that way but simply I couldn't bring me myself to actually care for others at the moment.

I always put my own satisfaction before others, my goals before them. Not the tiny bit of guilt if few or many suffered from the consequences…

Perhaps I was being controversial but everybody always changes facts and rules to fit their ways and preferences.

At the end if my goal was achieved I would be overjoyed and completely forget about the rest because I achieved it and the results were what truly mattered not the path or the way I achieved it but if I met a failure, those factors actually mattered a lot.

Because it would always drag me back to think how I could have done such a stupid decision; why did I go left when I could have gone right? Those type of question where the worst.

I hold the belief to forget about the past, particular the bad memories but I simply couldn't just forget my failure. It was like my plan was destined to be a failure since the beginning and there no end of how much it would piss me off.

When I met the first failure I should have retreated and not stayed with a hopeless case clinging in the pathetic remaining hope, it only brought more losses at the end.

To summarize my case, Wave was the worst investment I could have done.

Perhaps in the long run I would be able to recover some of my losses but I only care for quick results in that particular area, though I was able to salvage the minimal and being able to put Tazuna in relative charge.

But Wave remained a poor country, even if they only suffered for a few years Gato left a damn good scar in their spirits; so the people was from little to zero help and my little stunt that I did there and there obviously spread like wildfire, of course only the questionable deeds were told.

With little to no support I only did the best that came on mind, impose a levy and be done.

More poor than before but didn't make a difference at all to their current situation, or maybe I sent a lot of people to their graves; either way I couldn't really bring myself to care. Sacrifices were needed and with that old drunk in charge Wave would slowly recover so I could recover something.

With one plan ending in utter failure, it was rational course of action to pursue the success of the second one which was set in motion the moment all the agents came back, but I didn't need all the Root agents just the crucial ones those being Fuu, Torune and the Jonin whose name didn't matter, only the rank.

Maybe just maybe I felt a bit regretful for proceeding with the plan but the money which I was supposed to get was truly tempting to let it go that easily even more when everything was being delivered to me in silver platter.

Of course there was no real need to actually think twice, and killing Zabuza had been surprisingly easy. We waited for him to finish with his task of scaring or killing the remaining mercenaries leaving him a bit tired, then Torune quickly ambushed him releasing his kikachu on his body; sadly not vital parts but as expected it spread at alarming rate. Honestly I didn't care at all of what was he screaming; maybe vulgarities, threats or pleads either way I witnessed how he gathered enough willpower to charge at us with the little time he had left but knowing that would happen was enough reason to bring the Jonin along whose only purpose was to stall for time and he did an excellent job. If Torune's attack wouldn't have been successful then we would have been forced to attack as a group since the Jonin wasn't exactly at par with Zabuza in term of skill and battle experience but he was a Jonin nevertheless, more odds to survive against Zabuza who was a veteran jounin.

It took less than a minute before he gave his last breath, and his body rested on the ground forever.

Honestly, the little regret that had been lingering around was replaced with joy at truly believing that I hit the jackpot, Zabuza bounty was categorized in millions though small compared to Kakashi's bounty, but millions were millions and I wasn't one to complain on large sum of money.

Proceeding with the protocol, Zabuza didn't have much things that were truly valuable to be sold at the black market but were very useful like his own set of kunais and an improved first aid kit ; so kept those for my own use.

However I kept his hitai ate as a trophy, it wasn't my hobby at all but I felt I should kept something more durable as a memento for such feat.

And about his unique blade, it was handed to the Jonin. I simply couldn't find a real use to it, Shin may be able to wield it with both hands but couldn't really swing it or perform correct the simplest of slash attacks, and the blade didn't fit in my style of fighting. Suigetsu came to mind at first but he was useless in my perspective, I wasn't going to deny his personal strength since he was a jonin in term of skills but he only served as a fighter nothing more, besides he didn't have any allegiance except for himself.

So giving it away was the best course of action, but who could have guessed that they would confiscate Zabuza body after that?

Of course, I didn't.

The Hyuuga came into picture and gave a clear explanation, rules, and costs for requesting the support and other services as well, which led to handing the body so the payment could be fulfilled. Danzo totally informed her everything between us and how our system worked, and the worst of all was that I could only hold my tongue behind my teeth and watch how my well deserved money left with that bitch.

Just then the most commonly well known question came to my mind, what if?

In true the option of allying myself with him had been present many times, it could have been possible that he actually had been working with Mei Terumi in gathering funds for the rebellion and I could have established good relations with them fastening my goals, after all securing relationships with political leaders always gave you a boost of power.

However that was why all those things stayed in, WHAT IF?

Besides I couldn't care less about the rebels, they were going to win anyways and Danzo clearly expressed his standing in Kiri situation, our support was of double edge. Yagura's side was to keep destroying the country from inside and giving us more opportunities to snatch more bloodlines, just like VOLT. And the rebel side was to use them to take over as discreetly as possible, of course we couldn't forget MIST standing, they actively supported the rebel side since the Mizukage actions didn't benefit the country at all.

Even if the rebels were to be annihilated, Yagura would soon die at hands of Akatsuki leaving a war torn country even in more pieces and without a solid leadership.

However those were thing that didn't had much relevance to my personal agenda, perhaps at later date when I stabilized a few things first.

One of those was repair Haku's broken state of mind.

For starters, I held nothing back or try to sugarcoat her the news, it was an straight answer and crude message telling her that Zabuza had been killed by the hunter nin division, of course I wasn't going to tell that I was the killer. Besides just by saying the words killed and Zabuza she she broke down right there like a glass, and honestly that was exactly what I wanted and needed to proceed with her.

She had been broken and badly repaired but with me in charge and Fuu as a moderator interfering only when necessary so I could successfully fix her just like I did with Kimimaro. It took more time than anticipated but at the end I got my loyal subordinate just like expected HOWEVER only then the realization hit me LIKE a cold shower, she was virtually useless.

I couldn't bring her to Konoha for obvious reasons, and having her to wander around all the nations was like sending her to her grave. The only thing she could do was to stay in Wave and temporary act as an enforcer, or local law. Where was the point in having a subordinate with potential if you can't even use her at all?

It was only a waste of resources more than anything, another expenditure to add to my list.

Another loss that was supposed to be a success.

The thought in handing her to Danzo for the right price had been constantly nagging my mind, but perhaps to the very moment I refused to follow with that plan out of mercy or kindness or just pity.

"FUCK!"

I only wanted to earn easy money and start buying things, it was an straightforward and honest ambition and it wasn't that difficult to achieve but I used difficult methods to achieve it which only backfired on me pretty bad, leaving me only to return empty handed to my home and probably deal with a very pissed Naruto.

Life truly had been unfair to me.

And also to the poor rabbit that happened to come across us when we were setting up the camp, truly a pitiable creature which had been used to vent all my anger and frustration leaving an useless piece of meat, since all the bones inside had shattered and the fragments were deeply embedded with the meat and any consumable part, it would be eating a fish as whole without any proper preparation.

The weight of a hand on my shoulder was an instant detonator to my current mood, flaring up again lashing out would have happened if it wasn't thanks that I couldn't do that to Kimimaro, even if he wouldn't mind my reaction it would still be engraved deep in his mind.

"Are you okay Kichiro-sama?"

Of course that question was beyond stupid, there was no way I could be okay no matter what.

Yet his concern clearly expressed on his eyes told me enough, of course I should get mad if I failed but I Should never drag it with me. It worked exactly as depression, it was okay to take it with you for a few days but never for too long or you would lose yourself with it.

Besides I was surprised to experience his aura of tranquility, the Kaguya were known of their warmonger ways and he was the only exception and even in the middle of battle he never once was influenced. I had a very rough idea involving the yin and yang chakra but didn't and probably would put much thought into it, and if for some reason I get curious again then the monks from the Fire temple might be of some help with the answer.

The ice in the open and directly under the powerful gaze of the sun will constantly melt until it returned to its original shape, there was no better way to describe my sudden change of emotions.

"Actually... I feel better, much better."

That was a little episode which had been closed with a long and weary sigh, I should have started to get accustomed to constants failures after all the path to success is filled with those failures. As much as I disliked to admit it but since I had knowledge beforehand I felt like I Could do thing to my pleasure and succeed, arrogance was ensued.

However I was alive and in one piece, a bright side of the situation.

"I'm glad."

And I was glad to have him to my side.

"Find Shin and tell him that I will take the first watch."

"As you wish."

With a new task assigned I was left behind with my solitude, solitude which would give me more time to think or ponder about many things that always lingered on my mind. And the silence of the forest was a great helper by giving me a very relaxing gust of wind.

First thing noticing the shattered parts of the cup all over the ground, the only thing I was glad about that cup was that it wasn't his favorite tea set. He found a liking in brewing tea so I bought him a dinnerware set which he usually used, and most of the time serving the tea there just for me.

Anyways cups cost money, not much but it was still money.

"Geez what a waste, I should apologize."

And Shin too deserved an apology, hopefully his image about me wouldn't be that affected.

But before that there was another thing I needed to do, not out of necessity...maybe.

It was out of whim, just to satisfy myself or maybe because I felt like it suited my current situation.

Two object were pulled out, the common kunai and symbol of pride for the shinobi or also the symbol of shame or ultimate betrayal.

"You were an idiot Zabuza…"

There was no hesitation in the movement of my hand as I engraved the word 'IDIOT' on the hitai-ate, just like slash on the village symbol that word would be forever there.

Actually there was no particular reason and no real necessity, when I finished.

I thought that I would look cool by doing it, honest answer.

"And died as one."

Anyways, it was time to take the first watch of the silent night.


	29. Chapter 30

**AN: Ma ,last chapter I felt lazy to actually write creative disclaimer and an AN like damm! I was like don't wanna write anymore just post the chapter! Anyways, why did I decided to kill Zabuza without so much drama? Because it was pointless and repetitive to the point of being sick of it. Do you even know how many times I read the same shit? I mean in Naruto stories or SI-OC? LITERALLY HUNDRED OF TIMES, and the worst of all is that some of them were almost the same but worded differently. It sums like this, Naruto's or OC's team come to Wave with the same shitty excuse about doing the right thing (dark protagonist doing it because they didn't have better thing to do) Encounter demon brothers and getting a flawless victory, Zabuza appears and fights Kakashi and our protagonist helps. In wave fight Zabuza again and from there two things will happen after a lot of shitty drama, Zabuza dies saying some last words or live but with a new resolution on mind. Honestly that didn't feel right, didn't add up; why would KIchiro would care? Why would he start a conversation specially in middle of battle and more importantly why would he fight in even terms? Think about it, when you have to fight a strong enemy how will you proceed?**

 **Also this question is for MATURE audience so don't read it if you are underage or didn't ventured too much in the DARK corners of our imagination and don't have an open mind, about Zabuza there was one kind of situation that I didn't read yet and would like it to see; of course I'm referring to a dark story but really going too dark; rather than just killing Zabuza just injure him and put him totally defeated on the ground while our bastard of a protagonist proceed to rape Haku in front of him (obviously female Haku), if you know of a story with these tell me through PM or Review, I'm curious how the author fleshed that out.**

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: Somebody once told that the world is gonna roll me, I ain't the owner of Naruto.**_

* * *

Usually I didn't walk to go place to place, I prefered to jump across roofs or use the Shinsun since it saved me a lot of time and also energy; being a ninja one usually didn't like to waste time in trivial things like walking unless they were with friends.

And to m case the reason why I chose to walk was because I felt like it, a method to tone down the stress that had been bottling up and also to grab a little snack which I would enjoy until I arrived to my destination which was the Hot springs.

True to be spoken, the hot springs were to die for. Though there wa also another thing was that I still had some shame in me to show my body naked, so I pretty much couldn't really enjoy them very often since they were usually full with naked strangers.

Also it was a busy day so enjoying the waters was out of the question, however that wasn't my objective. The real reason why I was going there was to pick up Naruto which she requested me to do for some reason, kinda odd since she personally requested me to be one who was going to pick her up and not Kimimaro like usual.

And well I had no rights to actually voice my opinion in the matter, since I was in debt with her thanks to my last stunt which as stated before it ended pretty bad. Though going back and remembering her reaction back then, it was from a warm welcome to a very angry scolding from her part. Truly surprised me, leaving me speechless the whole hour in which she didn't stop scolding me and cursing me for being an utter jerk to her.

And she put all the weight of the responsibility on me and not Kimimaro, he was the victim too while I had been pictured as the villain. Hilarious in a way but also a bit shameful from my part for allowing a 12 years old girl to lecture me about what was good and what wasn't, as if she was my senior.

Only after she was finished, did she returned to the loving imouto which could leave stupefied many others simply because it didn't add up. When one was angry at other that person should remain angry at least for a couple of days and then return back to normal, it kinda made the whole lecturing pointless.

Anyways returning to the original topic, I had arrived to the place but Naruto wasn't out leaving no other option but wait like a gentleman outside. I could only hope that she wouldn't take long because the sun combined with the steam wasn't exactly refreshing, it gave an humid feeling but not refreshing.

Waiting for several minutes made me believe that she was doing t on purpose just to punish me.

I said it again, I had no right to complain.

Only thing left to do was to get lost in the nothingness of the mind unless I felt like exerting myself even more by walking around the place, well there was the option to try my luck and watch what was behind those walls for scientific purposes but since Naruto was also there; it was a big turn down without further explanation.

With even more time passed without any changes forced me to take a walk around the place since my ass and legs were starting to get sore from the inactivity, truly I was sucking up my words and mood. Naruto was getting in my nerves once again, probably she just entered the onsen, having me wait for the whole ordeal to be over and for a woman that required a ridiculous amount of time, especially that a large process needed to be done before enjoy the waters.

Honestly I was planning how to get back at her, my situation was plain ridiculous and I wanted so bad a cold drink. However I was also hoping that she wasn't pulling me the prank about she was never there to begin with, that would be unforgivable in so many degrees.

Yet, have you ever heard always expect the unexpected?

"Wait a minute…"

Like a long white hair that near the wall which could be easily overlooked, well nobody would mind until the perspective changed as one walked, steps forward and instead of looking that white and hairy mountain was the shape of a man, a very well known man.

Priorities first.

"Get your perverted ass out of here!" Obviously that man was no other but Jiraiya, possible the only person who would peep so shamelessly in public nevertheless. Also questions flooded my mind since he wasn't supposed to be in Konoha at least for a couple of months but that didn't really matter after my protective instincts kicked in, there was no fucking way I was going to allow him to peep on the girls while Naruto was there. And that was the only exception because if Naruto wasn't there I would simply turn blind eye and keep minding my own business, after all technically he wasn't causing any kind of harm to anybody.

Though I must say that landing a kick on his head was actually satisfactory in an heroic way, as if I was bestowing punishment to the criminal scum and placing myself as the hero. Enjoying that feeling wouldn't bring me harm doing it once in a while, of course I would also ask for a reward later that's the way of the modern heroes.

"You damm brat!" The criminal didn't stay idle after receiving such hit on the head, there was no way he was going to let others to disrespect him in such way and I was expecting him to retaliate in any way possible but before I needed to act more heroic since I wanted to increase the feeling along with the adrenaline.

"I will not let you peep on my sister!" With justice on my side I declared out loud though nobody was listening to me and probably nobody hear me except from Jiraiya whose facial expression had a drastic change, from annoyed to a more perverted one that could make you cringe on the spot.

"Oh! Is she a hottie?" Honestly I couldn't really believe that Jiraiya was really like that, deep down I had the hopes that he was simply putting an act but his eyes and words filled with honesty and pride, those facts were disheartening.

"Not your damn business!" Anyways I still needed to maintain my posture in front of him, yet I knew that mere words wouldn't help at all specially with somebody stubborn as him so another strike had been delivered but the target was his stomach under the ribs.

"Ah ah ah!" However my punch had been stopped by grabbing in a swift motion my wrist, hand, while the other did the denied expression."Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me." Truly I should have expected that, and judging by the grip on my wrist, my defeat had been done with only one movement.

No point in struggle and make myself look even more of a fool.

"For an perverted old man, you really have a very strong grip." But that didn't mean that I would hold my tongue against him, a consolation prize of a hopeless challenge.

"Show some respect! Do you even know who I am?!" Obviously I knew him and a lot of things related but spilling the beans would draw to much of unnecessary attention, but I could also make it pass as common knowledge from the academy after all we studied the Second Shinobi war and the most important figures.

"Jiraiya of the Sannin?" Putting some hesitation on my answer could help my eyes which slowly widened in realization giving the impression that I was finally understanding who was in front of me, though I didn't know if the act would be noticed by his years of experience in the spy world, either way I didn't put much thought into it.

"In the flesh!" Giving freedom to my hand he struck a very dramatic pose showing off his pride, or maybe he was showing off his narcissism. Any other person who didn't know anything about him would be thinking that the old man was crazy or a plain idiot; which wasn't far from the truth.

To my eyes I was witnessing an idiot at his prime.

"This is…"

"Awesome? Amazing? Surprising?"

"Disappointing."

He was literally oozing honesty when speaking and any movement that his body realized didn't hold any hint of hesitation, it only made me ask.

This man was really The Toad Sage Jiraiya?

Also the future mentor, friend and family of Naruto?

True to be speaking I had many doubts in leaving her in his care, like seriously.

Lots of doubts.

"Nani?!" The proud striking and shameless pose broke in an instant, like he just received a bucket full of cold water.

"I mean, you one of the strongest ninja alive dedicate his time in doing lecherous activities."

"This is art! My research is a way to express the artistic beauty of the woman!" With that said there was really no point of keep the whole righteous man act, nobody there to witness my supposed heroic act so nobody would be there to witness the real nature of a man.

"I admit that all of us will enjoy the body of a woman when given the chance, but at least we are...subtle about it." Saying that you never but never once in your life fantasized about a beautiful and hot woman then you would marked with one of the two possible titles; a big liar or gay. After all given the chance who wouldn't turn his head to watch an amazing chest ahead or captivating rear and curves which deliciously moved side to side with every step.

However what made us different from the real shame of men was that we had the unbreakable rule of watch but not touch, unless it was your woman.

"Then you aren't enjoying it at its fullest!" Of course he would say that, his shamelessness had no limits; but honestly enjoying a woman at her fullest was to embrace her and have her for a night just looking at her naked body wasn't really that much.

"No, what you are doing is not enjoyment is debauchery, if you are going to peep at least do it right."

There was no room to think and neither to react or even notice what happened next, in one second he had already his arm around me pulling me closer with a curious face, but also I could see the friendly environment as if he was talking to one of his kind!

"Oh? Then mind enlighten this humble man with the knowledge of your methods?" As quick as ever a distance was created between us, it was getting a little uncomfortable specially that he just invaded my personal space without any care. There was a shuddering feeling coming from my shoulder the place where his hand hold me, couldn't really tell the reason of why so much drama about him but maybe I wasn't accustomed to that kind of people; a peculiar guy.

"No."

"Oh well, if you excuse me I need to continue with my research." Hopeless situation, it was better just to ask for the receptionist or a girl to inform Naruto to leave as soon as possible, I really didn't want her experience to be ruined like that. And if I tried to hit him again he would surely retaliate with force since I was man; and of course I wasn't that careless idiot with a hero complex.

"Dammit there is only a little girl."

Blood became cold as the ice freezing my veins and my body followed soon enough.

Little girl.

Little girl.

Shit.

Naruto!

"OH HELL NO!"

It was my final declaration of screw my rules and logic, no hesitation and the instinct took over my body forcing me to leap against Jiraiya and drag him down with me to the ground but in only remained in that and didn't go any further.

"NARUTO GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!"

"Wha..Is that you Onii-chan?!" The rush of emotions went to my head at hearing her voice coming out of the other side, I could understand a little better why he his perverted way were that despised by Tsunade; but being powerless against him I could only do the best thing came to mind.

"RUN THERE IS A PERVERT HERE!"

"KYAAAAA!" And all the girls inside the hot springs screamed in unison as the constant splash of water could be heard in vast amounts for a while until there was not a single girl in the onsen, leaving an empty space.

Only after that I stood up looking a bit dejected, at the end he did end up peeping on her and her relaxing time was totally ruined by the supposed harmless yet selfish activities of a man.

"Geez, no need to get so overworked. I have standards you know?" Once he was fully standing he dusted away the dirt from his attire but I didn't care for those pesky details after all what he just stated was pissing me off.

"Oh fuck off." No reason to held my tongue against him after all verbal attacks were way different from physical ones and it was the only thing I could do without many risk. And who couldn't forget he he didn't deserve any kind of respect at the moment and would never come any sign of respect toward him unless we were in front of others, I would rather bite my tongue.

"Is true, my research material must be between 15 to 39 years." And he even dared to say that he had standards in those sort of things, how low can he reach? I couldn't deny that Shinobi had a hobby to help them to deal with the stress specially us from Root but we had healthy and proactive hobbies, his were debauchery at its finest!

Or maybe was was being contradictory?

One was was certain, he was mocking me.

"I really really want to beat the shit out of you."

"Nothing is stopping you."

One long and cold glare on him followed by the finger, only then I gave the reply.

"Don't be an ass, I have no chance against a S rank ninja."

Again he was getting on my nerves the moment he started laughing wholeheartedly, deep down one my heart a promise was made and one day I would kick his ass in any way possible.

"You are very well informed." He was looking down on me both literally and figuratively, annoyance or humiliation either way I only wanted to leave as soon as possible and go home, just like that old expression 'Fuck this shit, I'm out.'

"If you excuse me I need to meet with my imouto, so get lost."

Yet before I could give the second step towards my destination his hand firmly grabbed my shoulder keeping me in place and infuriated me even more from what I was currently feeling, if it wasn't for what he said next I would have slapped his hand without any hesitation.

"This conversation is far from over Kichiro."

Hearing my name being said by him and the tone he used send an electric shock on my body as well my heart rate accelerated. Honestly I shouldn't be surprised that he knew my name and a lot about me in general since Hiruzen was in good terms with him and often sent letters so he could have mentioned me in one of those but that didn't stop me from worrying about how much he knew about me.

"How…"

"Did I know?"

I wordesly nodded.

"I'm more than my good looks, you know? Besides writers should help each other once in awhile."

"What are you talking about?"

His reply came by pulling out a book from one of his many pockets of his clothes and my face quickly twisted in surprise at staring at the cover of my ' _questionable'_ book. However that detail was irrelevant to the conversation, honestly I was surprised that he actually came only to speak to me about a book which was flattering.

I could say that I was filled with pride.

"Normally I would be jealous but in this I see an opportunity! You imagination is like is out of this world!" He was right in both senses.

"Thanks, I guess." Yet I still couldn't shake off the awkward feeling and the pride conflicting with the anger and resentment towards him, they couldn't mix so they were clashing which inside me stopping me to react properly.

An idea popped in my mind, with him I could increase the fame and increase the income which it yet needs to be delivered to me, from the contract that had been signed it was stated that it would a month of trial and the earnings would directly go to the publishing costs and also the production until the all the expenses were met only then if the book was a success then the earnings would be shared accordingly so I only needed to wait a little more and I would receive my well deserved(dirty) money.

So when Jiraiya was actually praising my work it elevated my spirits to high levels, because if he, a famous writer, liked my book then what could be say for the masses?

"So as a fellow writer, I request your help for my next book!"

"..."

Forget everything I was just thinking.

"Worry not! I will properly pay you!"

I really wanted to drop flat on the floor, face first.

* * *

There was a law whose name forgot, it talked about when a situation was terrible it could get even worse. And well, it first came in the sudden appearance of Jiraiya and meeting his character face to face which was not only disappointing but very doubtful; then it turned to despise after what he did.

However it didn't stop there because I finally learned something that honestly shouldn't have been learned at all, better yet would love if Fuu could seal that fragment of my memory.

And right there the law applied.

Jiraiya was a masochist.

Fact discovered by first hand witness of the scene.

After I warned Naruto all the girls came out and started to beat up Jiraiya on the spot, I was spared thanks to Naruto intervention, though I would have escaped if they tried something anyways.

Moving to the main point, I was amused at the sight of how he was getting what he deserved but when I thought about the situation, it simply didn't add up. Why would he let civilians lynch him for a long time, any sane person wouldn't allow that to happen to them even if the perpetrators were civilians whose punches and kicks weren't that threatening.

Well he did stay and even went to the ground begging for mercy as soon as the group arrived, it was thanks to my deep perception that I noticed how much he was enjoying it. It was a very disturbing revelation, for example the grunts weren't from muffled scream but disgusting moans and the the whole time he was smiling.

For me that was enough proof how much of a masochist he was, could only hope that he didn't reach that point I would never let Naruto get near him ever again; screw everything I would find another way.

"Hentai!"

Despite all the angered women were gone Naruto was the only one who remained bestowing proper punishment to Jiraiya, I couldn't really find myself to tell her that she was actually giving him pleasure.

She needed to vent her anger but I couldn't allow her to keep going especially that he was grunting again.

"Stop it Naruto he already got what he deserves." Not by a long shot, he just got what he wanted and had any hint of regret on his body.

Naruto stood motionless there for a while before striking Jiraiya with a chakra enhanced kick, and that time it actually hurt him because if that yelp wasn't from genuine pain then I couldn't tell how disgusted the situation could get.

"Let's go then!"

One last look to the pitiable downed man in all possible senses, before I followed Naruto to whenever she wanted to go. Though, it would be a lie that I wasn't interested in his offer after all depending on how much material and inspiration my ideas gave him it would influence the payment and with a head rich in imagination I was pretty sure I could obtain a small fortune from him.

However since Naruto was there and there was still the resentment for what happened moments priors it was for the best to return another day when the tension between lessened to some degree.

Though judging by her attitude she would not let it go that easily unlike me, of course I wouldn't forgive him that easily or, probably never, but I could be in good terms with him even more if he could actually teach me a few things.

But I couldn't focus on a possibility that could either be an impossibility, better said I needed to focus on the present in which Naruto was still expressing her anger by constantly kicking the dirt.

To be honest, since Naruto was girl she could hold a grudge for years unlike guys. She needed to forget or at least ignore anything related about the incident even if it just happened moments ago, lucky for her I an idea popped in my mind.

"Just calm down."

"Never tell a girl to calm down!" I was surprised to see her snap at me like that, but that wasn't going to stop me better yet she gave me material to work with and I couldn't help but let my mischievous grin become clear as the sky.

"Calm down."

"GAAAH!"

I didn't even give her time to react or notice what I was about to do, and honestly I wanted to do for a long time. And what it would make it more satisfying was that it was my vendetta against her little prank.

"You are so cute when you get angry." With that said she finally realized that she was between my arms, but what really got her was that she was in the bridal style. I usually carried her specially when we were younger and liked to be carried but not when there was people watching since the public opinion was important and by carrying her like a damsel in distress probably could stain a little her image as kunoichi specially if we were to happen upon her friends.

Actually I could take her to them but that was being downright sadist, and I was a jerk not sadist.

"Hey stop it!" The effects were immediate and her face turned red in embarrassment, however just as it come it left only to be replaced with the struggle for freedom. Of course I wasn't going to let her go, I was currently doing justice and the dosis of justice hadn't diminished a bit.

"Stop being cute and I will stop." By pulling her even closer her struggles lessened until there were no more coming from her, resistance is futile soon you will be assimilated!

But then all cockiness disappeared in a brim of a second the moment II felt her shift and leaning for a better position leaning her head closer.

"Naruto?"

I was expecting more resistance, didn't matter if it came in the shape of words or struggle but not downright acceptance; it kinda destroyed my intentions to enact revenge on her.

"Can...can we stay like this, please?"

"Sure."

Screw the past, I kinda like it anyways.

"Kichiro no Baka."

Since when she began to act like a tsundere?

* * *

 ** _AN: Chapter 30 ….Omae wa mou shindeiru._**

 ** _And Jiraiya came, honestly it wasn't that hard to write him just imagine your typical pervert but also good guy of the anime, since it had been done so many times you actually get the gist of it. And that part was just added because it fitted, seriously dont judge me I found it fitting specially after watching Prison School._**

 ** _you know? I find it difficult to actually finish a chapter when I finally reach the end the words simply don't flow anymore dunno why but constantly happen so bear with me until I find a solution for this pesky problem._**

 ** _You know something? The chinese stories are so fucking good, give them a try. Obviously the the ones which are translated unless you know chineses XD!_**

 ** _PD: Hey guys increase the MMR of this story by checking the fav &follow boxes….._**

 ** _Also to support me because it references the story better on Fanfiction._**

 ** _LUL_**


	30. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: So Kishi are you interested in giving me the rights? No? Then what about a trade?**

* * *

A couple of days was enough time for everything to quiet down to acceptable levels of tranquility, but the first impression had a lot of weight which was a bad one. In other words it was quite difficult to put Jiraiya on good light and Naruto probably would never forgive him but matters aside there was something to discuss with him.

Searching for him wasn't really challenge at all and honestly I wasn't surprised in the slightest when I found him peeping on women again specially in the same spot of the same hot springs.

No drama and no unnecessary introductions we finally went to a better place to actually discuss our unfinished business, yet once again he left me speechless at his choice of place and making me regret to actually follow his lead or give a chance to choose.

"I still don't understand you." There was nothing to understand, Jiraiya was simply being the very well known pervert of Konoha and I was ashamed of myself for fail to predict what his perfect place truly was. Though I was glad that the sun was still up on the sky because if it was nighttime then we could have ended in a more...improper place.

"There is nothing to understand, there was no way I would discuss an important matter in that kind of place." Also it was insulting, a complete offense to the other party. It was practically laughing at my face, of course I wasn't going to stand such a thing but there was nothing I could actually do but quietly leave the place. Causing a scene would have been outright stupid, at the end I still couldn't believe how he actually believed that the Red light district was a perfect place to discuss; the idea itself left me flabbergasted.

"It was the perfect environment!" Honestly he should understand that the source of inspiration works completely different for each person in particular, just because peep on women and being a shameless pervert worked perfectly for his writing it didn't mean that it would work for me in the same way.

Anyways since he was going to follow me I went to one of the many bars which were open serving drinks without discrimination or limitations. Also it wasn't going to be full for the fact that it was way too early.

And I couldn't deny that I felt like drinking a cup or two.

"For who?"

A rhetorical question from my part, yet he still answered.

"For your ideas to flow! To write or think perfect ideas every little detail counts!" With due honesty I shouldn't have even bothered with any kind of question, since the answer was going to remain the same but phrased differently.

"You were mostly focused on the women!"

A place filled with all kind of people but mostly women who his eyes were glued on them without any subtleness; it wasn't necessarily to mention which areas all the focus was on. Another reason why I refused to stay there another minute and let him do whatever he pleased.

"Those were amazing chests." Hearing such response left no option but to give up and ask me a very important question.

Why bother?

If you can't beat them, then join them.

Both of us were men and had knowledge about that topic, though he had more than me.

"Don't forget that few of them possessed a killer hourglass figure and those rears were very tempting."

My response met with an almost immediate reply from his part, pulling me closer with his arm as he laughed to his heart's content while I shyly accompanied his laugh not like I have any more options.

But I would have prefered if he didn't pull me so close to him.

"Now that's more like it!"

It was a good thing that we had arrived and took seat on our respective seats, one in front of the other so our business talks could start in a good environment. To give the final touch the drink were served and we enjoyed them for a moment diluting all tension between us.

"Anyways how much are we talking about." Placing the cup on the table I adapted in a more serious stance looking at him without any intentions of backing down, if he was willing to pay then I wanted to know how much the amount he was willing to give.

"Depends of how powerful the idea is, that it can write by itself." His serious response didn't exactly answer my question since I wanted numbers but I still could set a good price for my ideas; after all they weren't from this world.

The idea of writing and selling them by myself had always been present in my mind but I couldn't express them correctly since I had very little knowledge in the subject specially in the romance and erotic parts, unlike Jiraiya who had a lot of experience and was famous for it.

"Let me think." Obviously I couldn't give everything in on one deal and the one approved to be sold needed to be alluring to the people, and I couldn't forget the exotic aspect which would make even more attractive to the masses.

Yet another factor was that it should fit with the folklore in some way so they could relate, thinking it better getting a proper idea that could give me lots of money wasn't that easy as it seemed.

With the help of a couple of sips and the strong feeling on my tongue helped me to cleanse my mind and to finally give a good idea, and I could feel somehow proud of it.

"A kemonomimi!" Good think that the place was empty or they would have definitely turned to look at me, after all when a person shouts out of sudden it tends to attract a lot of unwanted attention think that I didn't like very much.

"Go on." His small notebook along with his pen were ready to take notes on the subject, every little detail mattered and I was going to give every single one without exception. I couldn't even hide my own perversion when that particular idea came out, simply I couldn't wait to see how the public would react to it.

* * *

"I can already see everything! Kemonomimi will revolutionize the literature world!" Not so surprising Jiraiya had flushed face after I explained the sensitive parts of the kemonomimi like the ears and tail, and as an expert of the erotic literature he immediately got all ideas and how to flesh them out correctly. "My next Icha Icha shall be praised through countless generations!"

He had filled half his notepad with notes about the subject and by the way he in how he kept writing, it might be not enough for write down everything that was on his mind.

"Just don't forget all the details I told you or it they won't be different from a common girl." I was wholeheartedly laughing on the inside, I couldn't suppress my excitement to witness the general opinion the moment his new book was released.

It was only matter of time.

"Don't worry." A surge of adrenaline went through me the moment his hand went to one of his pockets, I was already feeling the money and the weight of it on my hands. "And here you go." Yet only came out three small scrolls, which didn't poses a seal of any kind, those were common scrolls where people used to write.

A big disappointment.

"What's this?" I couldn't hide my annoyance of the matter, he promised to pay me never accorded a trade of sorts. He simply couldn't just do that to me, it wasn't fair but when logic began to go through my mind; I only realized that there was nothing I could actually do if he were to pay me with only that. There was no proof of our discussion and contract besides us, and I couldn't forget that I was powerless against him.

"Right now I don't have much money so I decided to pay you with jutsu scrolls; I specially picked them for your earth affinity." Even if he phrased it like that, this payment couldn't be counted as such in my books and I made it clear with my dissatisfied eyes.

"I was expecting money to be brutally honest." My equipment was mostly maintained by me and the kunais along with the shuriken were also bought with my own money, Danzo only provided me with equipment when I was assigned a mission and after it was over I had the obligation to return everything that was borrowed.

And I wanted to buy better clothes, exotic food and decorations for the apartment.

Jiraiya from his part simply sighed in acceptance, which gave me some hope. "Look if you really want money then wait a week by then I will have a good amount." That brought a bit of relief, only a little.

It was like I was paid in credits, it wasn't really that very trustworthy but again there was nothing to do about it. At least I held tightly on the hopes that Jiraiya would fulfill his part of the deal, he was a good person after all even if he had a lot of flaws.

"I don't know if I should believe you, I kinda expect that you will spend that money in alcohol and women." A blatant true was spoken and a reply I was waiting.

"True but you only need to trust this man." There was no shame of my claims, such person with such attitude actually existed. To be so honest to that extent had its merits to give some sort of respect, even I wouldn't be that honest with others.

But I had been honest to begin with? What Fuu told me still racked in my mind, and I wished that I could forget his words.

Anyways I could always deal with those thoughts later, after all Jiraiya gave me three new earth jutsus to include to my arsenal, it was a huge boost to my power and a big advantage against the enemy of course I was very interested in them.

Though, I didn't know how powerful they were but judging by his character he wouldn't give me something weak and useless.

"Doryuheki, Doryuzu and Domu...all of these are B-rank!"1

I couldn't find any more complains.

Until I remember that he left without paying his part of the drinks, leaving me alone to pay the bill. I was glad that it was only two and not expensive ones so it was a relative fair price.

After leaving the place I walked across the streets for a while letting my mind become clear so I could think of something. But the reason was to relieve some stress that had been building again and think about the new techniques I just got since they were B rank. I recognized their power and how fatal they were but there was the doubt If I could actually use them with effectiveness in battle or they simply were too much for me and end up exhausted with a single use, even with my chakra control.

I didn't know any shinobi with earth affinity or knew those jutsus beside Hiruzen and Kakashi, and Hiruzen was always occupied with work leaving me Kakashi; knowing him he would be seated somewhere while reading his Icha Icha while Team 7 trained very hard.

But I had doubts if he would willingly help me even if he believed my double agent made up story, sadly I would never know unless I personally asked him.

Giving me a new thing to do in the day I ran to the nearest shop and bought three of bottles of water so I could go towards the training grounds; Naruto told me that they were going to the number 5 since it was a considerable distance I used the roofs so the time of travel could be reduced.

Some time later I arrived at the training grounds, I knew since I was able to watch Team 7 doing a routine but each one had a different one, for instance Naruto was doing handstand push ups once again surprising me with her stamina, Sai was delivering a series of kicks and punches to a dummy and for Sasuke, he was meditating much to my surprise.

But since I had arrived it was time for a little break even if it wasn't planned and like that Kakashi would come to me, saving me the trouble in search for him whenever he was reading his book.

"Hey guys!" All focus went to me for a moment as they stopped but only lasted a second before they resumed their exercises.

Actually Naruto just did two more before coming to greet me face to face, but there was no over exaggerated hug like usual, probably because there was a public not far away from us.

"So are you finished for today?"

I had an answer in me already but there was no harm in asking anyways, maybe it could be wrong.

"Nope, but I only need to do ten series more" Seeing the innocent smile on her face telling me as if it wasn't really difficult at all. Well I could do handstand push ups but not at the same rate as her since her stamina never runs out.

"I can wait, here catch." Handing the bottles to her my good deed of the day had been fulfilled and had been rewarded with a smile full of gratitude, there was only matter of time before Kakashi made his appearance.

"Thanks!"

Unless Naruto developed a selfish character without me noticing in matter of days, it was clear that she would hand the bottles to each team member.

"Ma Kichiro that was nice from your part." Speaking off the devil.

"Actually I'm doing this because Naruto is training here." If I actually thought about it, I was lying to myself she was just an excuse to talk to him and reflecting about what I just said it made feel like a bad person.

"Suit yourself." Glancing at his direction, it was typical from him to find him totally glued to his erotic book, and giving the aura of boring or disinterested person. But it was time to reveal my real intentions and get answers I need.

"Also Kakashi take a look at this." I pulled out one of the scrolls and handed to him, though I stayed there hanged until he stopped his reading. Only then he checked the contents of the jutsu scroll for a little while.

"Mhmm, so what do you want from this?"

"I want to know if I can already use it or I need more training."

There was a brief silence.

"Yes, with a simple glance I can say that you can learn this jutsu but it wouldn't be much of a use in actual combat, after a B rank jutsu is commonly used by jounins." Again he resumed with that lecture of his, wordlessly reduced one point from him since it was annoying to being so quickly ignored.

"Expected as much, guess I need more training." It was in my expectations that I could learn and use it, but the chances that it could be used effectively were low. I wasn't really mad at hearing the truth, it only meant that I required more training on my chakra.

"Yup, and don't expect me to actually help you."

That wasn't necessary to tell me.

"Jerk."

And much more, Naruto might exaggerate but there was true within her words.

However I wasn't that stingy, letting it go was the best option at the moment. Besides I didn't want to get into a pointless argument or an exchange of insults which I might or not end up winning.

Looking again at Team seven, I realized that they had been only doing physical training the last time I heard chakra training was a considerable time ago when Naruto was having a lot of trouble with the chakra transformation.

They were genins but to not familiarize with the elemental chakra wasn't something effective, it could be said that it could become a disadvantage against others.

"Anyways, why aren't you teaching them a jutsu or something related?"

Kakashi merely sighed.

"Honestly the idea crossed my mind but after watching how poorly Naruto performed the chakra transformation exercise, I decided that they will stick with physical training and more polishing on their fighting styles for a while."

Hearing that it was Naruto's fault was perplexing, but I couldn't deny that he was right about her poor performance but that wasn't enough reason to stop teaching them, it was a very bad excuse to being lazy.

Yet I didn't truly believe that he was doing that out of laziness.

"You are delaying their training because of one person? Even if she is my imouto I don't think that is fair for the rest." I simply couldn't spoil her that much.

"Well going deeper, there is nothing I can teach Sai and you know why."He hit the nail between us, and it was a very good excuse. Why would he train one of Danzo's minions after all. "Sasuke's attitude has gotten better but he still needs more control to proceed with advanced jutsus. And for Naruto, we had already made the arrangements with the Hokage."

That caught my attention, Naruto didn't mention that to me. Not like I actually minded very much but I would have liked if she told me. Though it might happened behind our backs and only Kakashi with Hiruzen knew about it to surprise Naruto.

"What arrangements?" With curiosity picked there was no way I would just stand idle and wonder by myself that, even if he didn't answer m then I could go and ask Hiruzen.

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders.

"Meh, is not like they're secret. Hokage-sama arranged a support teacher for her, I have an idea of who might be but I don't want to spoil the surprise."

"If it is who I think it is then I find it hard to believe that Naruto will accept him as a teacher." That explained why Jiraiya was around but why he hadn't introduced himself to her yet? Could it be that he was keeping his distance from her after that incident at the hot springs? If he was going to help with her training I wasn't going to complain, actually it would be a good opportunity to get a few things from him since convincing him wouldn't be really a problem for me.

Also there was a very important topic to discuss with him, it might involve Hiruzen too but I was perfectly sure that he would agree with it.

"Mhmm"

After I finished my little episode of thinking Kakashi was already glued on his book, at least he remained to my side instead of disappearing so it could be a plus for him. But there was a some time before Naruto's training was over and I was there without something to do, and I didn't feel like training anymore leaving me without ideas in how to pass time.

Actually there was one thing.

"Can you lend me one of your books for now? I'm kinda curious why they are so good."

I learned to regret that decision later on, specially on the walk back to our home.

At least it was a good read.

* * *

AN: Kemonomimi also know as animal girl, the type who has ears and tail nothing more.


	31. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: If I want the rights for Naruto as soon possible then I will start selling the GOOD STUFF at the backs of Wendy's or KFC and in matter of months I will have enough money to buy the rights legally! Unless the police catches me first, so guys keep this a secret between us, MMmKAY?**

* * *

 **AN: In the last update I had the bad luck to post it when the alert system was down, so for anybody who didn't know the 31 had been posted.**

* * *

Surprisingly enough in the past week I had no news of Danzo, but I waited nevertheless.

However I didn't dare to get lazy with my training specially after what Kakashi told me, but trying to reach a jounin level it would definitely take me a long while if I were to rely only by myself. But that wasn't going to stop me from learning those three jutsus, so I started studying and memorizing the Domu for its versatility in actual combat, an almost perfect defense and also piercing attack against any defensive jutsu. But the downside was that it requires constant chakra supply to maintain, and like Kakashi said I could only perform once and become exhausted, after reading who knows how many times and doing small simulations within my estimation the jutsu wouldn't last more than five seconds and that was being optimistic.

Of course not everybody stayed idle doing nothing regarding their training, Just like Kakashi said the ' _unknown'_ expert finally made his appearance to Naruto, and it went exactly like I predicted it would develop between the two.

"Naruto you had been in your room like two hours." Though I knew she would reject him the second she saw him, I didn't expect that she would ran away and lock herself on her room for a long time. She didn't even want to talk the first and half hour of her isolation, and I had been constantly trying to get her to open the door but to no avail.

"So?" At least I was glad that I was finally getting some progress with her and her stubbornness.

"Open the door."

"No."

I should have expected the no for an answer, asking was a waste of time.

Looking at it closely I could smash the door open or ask Kimimaro to destroy it, both of us had the strenght and capacity to carry on with the task but it wouldn't do any good to Naruto, it could even strain our relationship. So the best I could do at the moment was to endure her attitude and keep trying with words.

"Normally I wouldn't mind but this happened right after you left for training." She returned minutes after she left, and the little I could see she was rather angry with someone in specific but she didn't give me a chance to actually talk about it.

"Kakashi said that he felt too lazy to train today." If I didn't knew better I would have believed her excuse without a second thought, after all he was that kind of person. However she was wasting our time, I didn't want to spend all the morning inside.

The idea to tempt her with food was taken into consideration a couple of times, but it was the last resource. Meanwhile I sticked with finding the way with words alone.

"As logical as it sounds, I don't believe you."

"Is true!"

"Let me guess, you met your new teacher; didn't you?"

There was a couple of seconds of silence giving the satisfaction of hitting the nail. But I was more satisfied with myself when I heard the door click open.

But my pride and satisfaction quickly disappeared when I realized that i wasted a lot of time, and it could have been avoided if I were to bring the topic first and I still could find why I didn't ask about it in the first place. That kind of mistake deserved a hard slap on the face and leave a red imprint for the rest of my days.

"How…" The door after being unlocked opened but at slow pace, but it wasn't wide open like it should; instead there was only a small gap which Naruto used to stick her head out.

However since she gave the initiative I continued pushing the door open meeting no resistance from her until it was wide open, Naruto was standing there with the same set of clothes from the morning.

"Kakashi told me." I didn't want to beat around the bush anymore.

However Naruto just crossed her arms and looked away appearing to be offended, honestly Jiraiya should be with us trying to clean up the mess he did and not me. Though he might make things worse unless he learned his lesson and do the right thing and try to properly explain things to his goddaughter.

That was only a desilusion true to be spoken.

In the two hours he didn't appear at all.

In other words it was up to me to convince how much good would do to her if she were to train with Jiraiya but it would be quite a difficult feat to achieve since I couldn't mention anything about our meetings or I would too tarnish my image with her.

So the question was, how should I approach the subject?

Until an idea came to mind it was better to be inside and make myself comfortable, talking at the door wasn't really the best place to talk and discuss about personal problems after all.

And I already had in mind where I would make myself comfy, if it wasn't for Naruto who stopped me with one hand. I couldn't tell why she stop me since she never did that before but that wasn't going to stop me; sometimes one needed to be a bit forceful and it seemed to the current situation I needed to apply that rule.

Indeed to my thoughts she didn't resist anymore for the next step.

But she groaned her displeasure for my forceful attitude.

Her room didn't change very much even if it had been years, it always maintained the humble appearance but that could only be told by people who only looked from the outside and didn't bother to check everything in detail, in truth everything inside her room was actually expensive, but not expensive enough to be considered ridicule and that only rich people could afford, after all top quality products required a considerable sum of money.

Not giving another glance to my surroundings I took seat on the best place I could find, and that was the bed. However I quickly dropped dead and started to enjoy the bed which was a little better than mine, I could only envy her a little bit to give some balance.

"That's my bed."

Naruto was quick to state a fact and also hinted me to get up since she was the owner of the bed she was supposed to have the right to use the bed and not the visitor, such a shameless act of mine.

But rather than getting a scolding I just got a sigh of acceptance, acceptance of defeat from her part. Only then she moved my les further on the bed and took seat next to me.

Usually it was time to sit up and begin our conversation, to vent our problems with words but for some unknown reason I decided to wait for her just a little more, too see her next action.

And my expectations weren't in vain, but I didn't anticipate that she would laid next to me.

I didn't dare to utter a single word anymore, simply because it had been a while since I could genuinely enjoy a moment of silent peace and warmth, I usually had been busy or in missions just like she was; it brought back memories of the time when our biggest of worries was to pass an exam or to finish a homework at the last moment things used to be so simple and calm.

However we couldn't just lay there doing nothing for much longer, I was pretty sure that Kakashi and Jiraiya were waiting for me to convince her and send her back to train.

"So when you meet him, you just left?"

"Mhm."

"Not even gave him a chance to talk?"

"Mhm"

"What happened with your manners?"

Only after her silence continued for a while, it was enough for me to understand that she was no longer going to reply back, but she just snuggled closer.

"Naruto, he might be a pervert but he is a Sannin." Better confront the matter directly rather than find a way around, besides I totally believed that in less than ten minutes I would be able to convince her.

"I don't care, he peeped on me."

"You shouldn't hold a grudge." It wasn't healthy for a person to hold resentment against another but that usually is accounted when it had passed years, but it wasn't even a month and her pride and purity as a woman had been stained, that was my beliefs because I truly couldn't exactly tell how a girl would felt when somebody peeped on them in such moment.

"He should be castrated."

"This is a new side I'm learning about you." If I didn't knew better I could have flinched in total shock at hearing such cold words coming from her mouth, after all I never taught her to think like that. I was trying to say I never taught her to be cruel and cold, but I couldn't deny the responsibility that she might have adopted a bit of my character indirectly.

I furrowed my brows for a moment deep in thought, but then softened when my next idea came up.

"Haven't you thought about getting back at him?" It wasn't for the sake of revenge but proper retribution, bestow justice on the unfairness that had transpired some time ago. It was the right thing to do and it would be supported by others.

And it might be a funny sight to behold what the future had reserved for Jiraiya, after all the possibilities were endless just as my amusement.

"Well?"

"I haven't."

"There are a lot of way to get back at him, trust me."

"Can you tell me?"

"Anything for my cute imouto."

Mission success.

* * *

After our talk Naruto left by her own volition to meet with Jiraiya and to start to bestow proper retribution to him at any chance she could get, and my ideas were very good so If I were to have luck I might be able to witness the results.

Anyways, with no momentary worries it was another chance to enjoy solitude and venture oneself in philosophical thoughts, also a good time for my plans and finding a new way to increase my income, after all the first try was a total failure so it was time for the second option to make its debut.

"Kichiro-sama I've finished with the groceries."

Turning my gaze to the direction of the source, Kimimaro was leaving the kitchen area with his very calm demeanor. Indeed, I had sent him to do some errands and buy what we were currently lacking in our fridge; for example we were low on milk and cereals; fundamental nutrients for our development.

"You have already put them in their places?"

"Yes."

Having him around was truly convenient, with him many things were simplified; I was glad and proud of my decision years ago after all it was the best I could have done until the current day. He was loyal, obedient, useful and powerful; in terms of strength was strong enough to fight against jounins and even win all thanks to his complete devotion, if he continued training with the same fervor for a few more years he might rival a kage.

"Then prepare tea for both of us."

"Immediately Kichiro-sama."

Sadly good things never came without their bad side of the coin, and I was very well aware of the biggest problem and disadvantage of Kimimaro. His illness was a setback, it only slowed him down but never stopped him at all yeat in due time it would stop him forever and such thing I didn't want to happen, moreover I had to stop it at all cost no matter the price.

His illness was a thorn on my side for a long time, thanks to it couldn't use Kimimaro as I wished; having him to do very small things such as chores and housekeeping, and rarely he was used on combat because I feared that his illness would develop even faster. Besides I couldn't forget the constant supply of nutritional pills to compensate his kekkai genkai, but at least that cost didn't directly affected my own pocket but it was paid by the insurance.

However there were others problems to think of, especially the undeniable feeling on my back, the instinctual feeling of a gaze on me, but it didn't stop stop there since it had two variations and the current one was the non hostile one.

"I know you are there, does Danzo-sama has an assignment for me or you are only to keep watch?" It was about time, it seemed my wait was unfortunately rewarded, I could only smile bitterly since it seemed that it was time to embark on another mission; I could only hope that it would be a fast one that didn't take more than a week.

However it was a bit unusual that they would send a common agent to send me a message, after all the ones tasked to talk to me were Fuu, Torune and Shin. Perhaps his presence wasn't to deliver a mission but another one which I was unaware of, either way I would only know if he or she were to speak to me.

Thing that didn't happen.

"I see."

If he or she wasn't going talk then one could only wait in vain.

"I don't care anyways, ask him for the recent whereabouts of Tsunade when you return to the Headquarters." I had to put a lot of thought for that decision, I was going to find Tsunade and ask for Kimimaro treatment. I had the feeling that she wouldn't do it out of the kindness of her heart, another reason why I wanted money as soon as possible because knowing how terrible gambler she was, her debts would increase and also her need for money.

"Here is your tea Kichiro-sama." Observing him for a moment I could notice his ragged breaths which he so badly didn't want to show me, if he were to travel next to me we could easily finish but it would entice too much unwanted attention especially from Orochimaru and I was terrified of the idea of him personally coming to stop us.

"Thank you." However the recently made tea warmed up my hands and a well the cold sensation that went all over my spine giving the tranquility I desired, but that wasn't going to be enough for me. Drinking it sip by sip to have it last for a considerable amount of time was always the way to drink the tea.

"Should I do something about him?" But Kimimaro sudden question made me stop my drinking; having the cup contents bath my upper lips for a moment before I lowered the cup to my lap.

Kimimaro was looking at me with a straight face waiting for my comand regarding our uninvited guest, but it didn't need much thought. It was for the best to totally ignore the agent since the little rootling was practically harmless to us, harmless in both senses because if in the wildest of cases he or she attacked us; both of us would easily dispatch the annoying agent.

"No, he will leave eventually." I just shook my head.

We shouldn't be bothered much for something trivial to us, besides his skills in brewing tea had been progressively improving and every cup he made tasted better so I was really enjoyable.

Reducing my stress was something very important too.

But the up didn't even reach my lips, only the weak steam coming from the boiled water touched my lips since right at front of my eyes was a hand holding a little paper, but there was also another hand holding with a strong grip said hand.

It was good to see how cautious Kimimaro was around strangers who were shinobis, one couldn't be too trusting or they might end up dead on a hole. However I was mildly interested in the reaction from the root agent but my interests were in vain since there was no visible reaction or any intentions to retaliate against Kimimaro.

Without giving more thought in the the situation I just snatched the paper from his restrained hand and check its contents, but there was only one word and after thinking for a brief moment I was able to remember that it was the name of a town near Konoha, it didn't make much sense just to give a name of a town.

"What's this?" My eyes solely focused at the holes from the porcelain mask awaiting for an answer,even with the light I couldn't see the eyes behind that.

"Tsunade Senju new location."

The Root agent was at the end a guy judging by hiss voice but that truly didn't matter to me after I heard his response, it completely threw me away. It didn't make sense to my book of logics, how could they have anticipated that I would search for Tsunade?

How could Danzo predict my next move?

I was underestimating involuntary, or maybe everything was just a stroke of luck.

"But I just asked."

However he remained silent.

"Fine be like that."

I snatched the paper from his hands, it annoyed me to be treated in that way even if that was the protocol from non team members, at least my teammates had some liberties when speaking with me. Though I was glad that the boy simply vanished with the shunshin leaving to trace behind, with no uninvited guest around I could relax once again and enjoy Kimimaro's tea for a while. Honestly I just wanted to forget what just transpired, but it was too hard to do so when the facts were stated, Kimimaro must survive.

"Kichiro-sama?" Kimimaro didn't pursue the little guy or put much thought into him unless I told him to do so, however he was very attentive about me ands he definitely noticed my concern for his life.

I only wanted to relax a bit more and plan a new economical strategy that would skyrocket my wealth and influence; things totally didn't go as planned.

"Kimimaro tell me the truth, how do you feel?"

His posture stiffened and then I was surprised at how quick he kneeled on the floor with his forehead touched the floor, it was as if he had done the worst possible thing to me and he was begging for mercy.

Before he just bowed or didn't meet dare to my eyes, but to straight out kneeling, it caught me off the guard and left me speechless.

"After our journey to Wave I started to cough blood." His words held shame and self loathe for himself, I didn't expect such extends about his feelings. But to hear that little piece of information increased my worries since it pointed that his time was nearing to the point that he would be bedridden.

I couldn't allow such potential to be wasted in such way.

"And your breaths?"

"Painful as before."

So it didn't change, only blood had been added. It would draw too much unwanted attention if somebody were to see him suffering, things needed to be dealt with care and silence.

It was going to be hard to pull everything without any flaws, but if I didn't even try then I wouldn't know at all.

But first Kimimaro needed to stand up, he did nothing wrong and should understand that, though I was feeling like giving up on that aspect since his devotion was unbreakable and unmovable as if we met a dead end.

"I'm taking you to Tsunade, lucky us she is currently gambling on a near town." I patted his head but he didn't dare to meet my eyes like before, maybe tomorrow he would feel better of himself and act without shame and resentment.

"When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow, if I manage to arrange everything flawlessly but now just sleep and relax." I didn't try to sound hopelessly optimistic, I knew since the beginning that I would take Kimimaro to Tsunade one day so I had been thinking occasionally a plan in how to travel with hi as safe as possible or to don't stand out very much, but achieving that alone had the minimal chances of success forcing me to rely on others but the other party I would involve wasn't going to be Danzo, Hiruzen was the best possible option. From him I would need to hire a team for a C rank mission, yet the problem was which team was the best for the job?

I had been heavily considering Naruto's team a lot of times but having her team would make us a target thanks to Sasuke being a stupid Uchiha, honestly I would have loved to accompany her to her first C rank mission and teach her a couple of things but it might happen at latter date in another situation. But there was another reason besides Sasuke and that was the obvious Naruto's character, the one I had been nurturing in high morals; if we were to encounter a difficult situation then she might opt for the option that could risk the mission specially that Kakashi was with them he would support that decision putting me in a bad position, I truly wanted to have a mission with her but I also feared that we would face situations where innocent bystanders might suffer from our decisions, if it was mine then I would totally forsake them but in Naruto case…

"I will do so."

I dropped on the sofa after Kimimaro left me to sleep on his room, there were a few things I needed to define and clarify. It was a good thing that the sun still had time before reaching the horizon; it would be enough to arrange everything if my calculations being correct the only variable was the hiring of a team, but Team 9 might be a good choice except for Lee and his devotion to the flames of youth, but putting that aside it was a viable option.

Yet I couldn't forget the price, since they had experience their price also increased even if it was a small amount to the standard price.

At least I wouldn't be responsible in paying for their expenses like food and lodging, so it was a plus in my book.

Either way before I direly required a brief break to clear my mind so my ideas could flow much better.

Later with a refreshed mind I started to prepare every little thing that could be essential for our trip, everything that was within my range of possibilities without the need to leave the house; like food and equipment, but then couple of knocks came from the apartment principal entrance, which was rather surprising because I wasn't expecting any visitors unless they came for Naruto but since she was out training then I could only cordially greet the guests and invite them inside. If Kimimaro was awake then he would greet the guests instead of me.

But no point in grieving over the past, I couldn't keep waiting my guest more than necessary; it might give me the appearance of lack of common courtesy.

"Yes?" Within my sight I caught the unmistakable lavender hair from a certain shy Hyuga, though I was a bit surprised about her sudden arrival since Naruto never once told me that she invited her over. "Oh, hello Hinata."

"Hello Kichiro-kun…" As expected she didn't met my gaze but at least didn't back away when I unconsciously leaned closer, also she wasn't blushing at all and that was a bit bad for my pride at least it could give me the desilusion that she had some feelings for me, but my ego didn't have anything to do with the situation; after all I wanted to know why she so suddenly came to visit us.

"So what brings you here? Naruto is out for training by the way, you can either leave a message or go to the training grounds number 7." If she truly came to visit Naruto then it was better to tell her where she was at the moment, but if she didn't then I was willing to hear her out besides my curiosity wasn't satisfied yet and maybe just maybe I would tease her a bit if I felt like it.

"No...etooo...I came to give this to Kimimaro-kun." Only when she mentioned it I finally realized that she actually brought a bag with her, and it wasn't the common plastic bag that could be gotten from any store but actually one with design, the type which women wore for shopping.

I was a bit perplexed since never once in my mind passed the idea that somebody would come to visit Kimimaro, it wasn't that nobody knew about him all Naruto's friends knew about Kimimaro specially his interesting devotion for me.

"Kimimaro?" Only when I mentioned his name questioningly she became shier than before, if it was another time I would have loved to tease her but the surprise of her request was still lingering around so I simply wouldn't proceed.

"Hai, I noticed that he was a bit sick so I hope this will help him recover sooner." That was very nice of her, but how did she know about Kimimaro being sick? And how much she knew about his illness?

But I didn't dwell to much in those thoughts after all Kimimaro usually did the shopping of groceries and others so for them to encounter in the middle of the street was highly possible to happen and he told me that he started coughing so she might have noticed one of those times.

I grabbed the bag and checked its contents and by a single glance I was able to identify many medicines related to the common fever and cold, even there was some herbs to make medicinal tea.

Watching her face filled with innocence, one simply couldn't bring himself to be that cruel and shatter her expectations.

"He will appreciate this I can assure you, and don't worry he will get better very soon." I just couldn't tell her that everything that she brought was useless to treat his illness, the best thing for him were vitamins and other nutrients to slow it down; but at least we had medicine in case one of us catch cold in the future so it wasn't a total waste.

"I hope so."

"I just noticed but where is Ko? Or Neji?" Since she was a member from the main house she had the obligation of having a bodyguard always guarding her to wherever she went in case of any kidnapping attempt that could occur between the walls of the village, but there were times that she actually left the compound without a bodyguard but in those time she pretended to be a branch member by covering her forehead with a bandana, but at the she was alone and without disguise.

I didn't take her as daring type, it was out of character.

"Well…" Her face instantly flared up showing a hint of pink on her cheeks as she played with her fingers a nervous attitude fitting of her character, however I just remembered something about our district.

"Nevermind, silly me, I forgot that there are Anbu all around here." The chances were minimal since many Anbus were patrolling the area and a few were stationed around, it was one of the safest places to be alone and the Hyuga compound wasn't that far so she wasn't facing really danger at all, I should have deduced that before asking.

"By the way Hinata, your team is free tomorrow?" After the principal topic had been solved the other that had been put on hold came back, after all Hinata was from Team 8 and despite all of them being rookies fresh fro the academy they were the tracking team a perfect tea for me, not to find Tsunade but they could create a much better perimeter than my strings specially Hinata's byakugan. They could pinpoint any danger from afar so it would relieve from worrying one less thing, and Kurenai was a capable jounin who was proficient in genjutsu so she could be able to hide us pretty well.

Perhaps they weren't strong overall but were useful and filled the criteria in my book, so it was worth a shot.

"We have training so I don't think we have time." Her answer didn't exactly was related to my question but I could pass it off since she clearly misunderstood my question.

"Good, so what do you think your team will say about a mission?"

"A mission?" Her white eyes connected with mine for a moment but she quickly looked away in embarrassment, I could tell that she was actually interested.

"Yup and an easy one at that." If everything went without a hitch then it would totally be the easiest C rank mission ever, moreover it would be called a C rank mission, also it would be a good opportunity to talk with Hinata and learn more about her since she was a little more different from what she was supposed to be, she was indeed shy but not to a great extent to actually faint under pressure and she also had her moments so I was curios more about her especially after hearing Naruto tales with her friends.

And I couldn't deny that getting in contact with the future heir of the Hyuga clan would be totally useful at latter date and obtaining more detailed information about the caged bird seal.

"Anoo...I should ask them first but you should ask Kurenai-sensei first."

"Kurenai-sensei, do you know where is she now?" I almost forgot about her, if I truly wanted to hire Team 8 then first I would need to convince Kurenai since she was rather protective specially toward Hinata, but it didn't go unnoticed by me the interest the spark in her eyes when I mentioned the mission to Hinata, she was actually interested in a mission and that I wanted them to do it rather than any other team. I could use her so Kurenai would agree specially knowing that the Kiba and Shino would agree to my request earnestly.

"That's too bad, anyways there is another thing you need to do?"

"No, goodbye Kichiro-kun."

She immediately bowed and left in a hurry, I just stood at the entrance watching her leave until she was no longer within my range of sight still wondering about a few things and ways in how to convince Kurenai in accepting.

Anyways before that I had others things to take care of.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **GAAAAAAAAAH! I'm so pissed right now!**

 **Don't mind my rant unless you are a faithful reader of Chinese, Korean, or any xuanxuan or xianxian stories.**

 **This isn't happening! D,: Qidian International is aiming to monopolize the Chinese Novels in this side of the world! Many translators are dropping left and right amazing stories, and right now the few standings are the powerhouses Wuxiaworld, Gravity Tales and the declining Etvolare; this is disgusting! And the stories haven't even reached half of it, is not fair especially knowing that these sites are actually legal since they have permission from the authors, if they win then is all over for us readers since we won't be able to read anymore unless we pay a monthly subscription which it wasn't the case for the others sites, we give donations and sponsor chapters encouraging them to continue and they actually like the novel and are doing it because they want to and like what they are doing unlike Qidian which actually don't provide good ones and don't have a good schedule in updates and barely talk to the public?**

 **This is like SOPA all over again or like Yen press, but at least Yen press is correct about their demands.**

 **I'm currently praying for Qidian to lose and back off to their filthy lair where they belong.**

 **Sigh…**

 **Now with the story,**

 **With this we are entering A new arc which may be a bit short and I had been planing it for a while, specially what I planned for Kichiro I hope you are liking the story thus far!**

 **Also I wanted to clarify one thing, I actually have a Cambridge certificate but it isnt like you bleive, I didn't went there and graduated or did a full course, I just had a exam in my country, I think many of you know the KET, PET, FIRST, ADVANCE right? Well I passed the FCE and got my certificate.**

 **Ja ne!**


	32. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: Oh no! The rights of Naruto belongs to Kishimoto!**

* * *

According to my calculations I would have already on the road if everything was arranged flawlessly the last day, of course it didn't happen my way which resulted in a delay but it didn't really affect me that much I still had time so a day more despite being annoying wasn't really much of a blow to me.

A C rank mission request was a bit more complicated than just present a paper with the request and contract, and I had a long tal with Hiruzen about every little detail and possibility of the mission and how risky could be if things went a turn for the worse. So to make proper preparations to deal with any possible outcome of the mission we spend hours inside the office; it was within my expectations to spend a few hours but never I expected that the planning phase would take that long; Hiruzen might be wise and intelligent but he just couldn't compare with a Nara, to create a very detailed plan and countermeasures as well it would only take them a few hours after all.

In hopes to save time I told him about my intentions to bring Team 8 with me and my reasons as well, however he just couldn't decided that by himself and needed to speak with Kurenai first which ended helping me in save more time but not really much time since the moment I stepped out I noticed how close the sun was to the horizon.

At least it was good that some shops were still open to the public and took advantage of it to buy a few things because I just felt like cooking a nice dish for all of us, I couldn't exactly remember the name but it had some oriental influence so it should be among those lines, and it was truly spicy with enough ingredients I could experiment a bit until I could get it right.

However in my walk suddenly I felt different, it was my paranoia screaming at me about a stalker, but I just couldn't be completely sure until I did a few twist and turns only then if the feeling remained then somebody was truly stalking me.

Walking and pretending that nothing was wrong wasn't exactly something easy to hide, from afar it was easy task but if one were to give a closer inspection then it could be easy to spot the differences like the stiff posture and the constant movement of the eyes. Honestly I had the idea to go to the source of that feeling but it was mostly out of caution that I decided against it.

It slightly worried me that the feeling remained intact after any turns which completely derived from the original route, without a doubt somebody was following me but then came the question; who?

Should I face my pursuer?

Many doubts were raised since I couldn't tell clearly if said person had good or ill intentions against me. But if I didn't risk the possibility then I would never know unless my follower stopped with the stalking and talked face to face with me.

But also there was the idea that my stalker was actually a Root agent, however any agent would allow their presence to be known to their respective target especially if the target was a shinobi, only sensor should be able to detect hidden agents and I was no sensor.

If he or she wanted to be discovered by me, then he or she wanted to talk to me.

And that was rather strange, usually any agent should met indoors and not outdoors to avoid any kind of contact with the public so avoiding any suspicious thoughts against us, after all we weren't supposed to exist.

It was a good thing that after the little play of cat and mouse I ended up on empty streets, the only thing left to do was to enter an alley and wait, the preference the light shouldn't reach it.

Once there I leaned on the wall to take a short break while I talked with the agent that had been following me for while, I couldn't lie that I wasn't curious of the true intentions. Though after thinking more clearly I suddenly felt that Danzo was up to something but to know if it was beneficial or not was completely unknown to me.

"Come out."

However nothing happen at the moment, honestly speaking I was waiting like a cool entrance from the shadow the moment I called but sadly I was proven wrong. In the same place I waited for a period of time but not long enough to tick my patience at all; though the light of the day was completely gone and be replaced with the lights of the streets.

"I would like to not be followed anymore."

"I cannot do that, the mission isn't complete yet." It was a rough voice but the tone indicated me that the agent was a girl, but I was curious about the tone of voice because it didn't feel natural at all, as if she had been smoking for a very long time. But that was something that could be put for later since I had other things to attend first.

"I clearly told Danzo-sama that I didn't require any help." Unless the other guy never gave the message in the first place but that was outright impossible specially from an agent like him, however I didn't want him to get involved specially because he could send that annoying Hyuga again and charge or demand compensation to Danzo.

But much to my frustration I had nothing to prevent him, my words held no authority at all.

"Danzo-sama isn't helping you." At her words my mind went confused for a moment, it was an instinctual action to turn my head to the source of my sudden confusion hoping to find the answer there.

Despite the natural darkness of the night I was able to have a clear view on her appearance, or at least a partial view since she wore too much clothing or articles on her, thanks to the big pair of goggles she was wearing I could only tell the tanned color of her skin and thin lips, the standard robe or cape hide everything from my sight.

Either way she was a member which I had never seen before until the very moment, honestly speaking I might forget about her the next day.

"Is an investment." However that next line put my mind at disarray after engraving those few words. It was shock to hear something like specially from her mouth but such message never came from them but from the warhawk, that was baffling.

To deliver a message that he was investing resources on me, I could say that I was somehow flattered but at the same time it was fitting for his persona very much. Every agent was an investment so in a way that didn't make me that different from the masses, so I shouldn't overthink a small detail. Besides if he truly was pouring resources on me then I could only accept and pray that any sort of payment would be required from me in a future, but in a way he considered important and my danger could be reduced to some extent.

Moving on, she was handing me a medium size scroll after she finished her sentence.

"What's this?" At the same time my words left my mouth, I checked the contents of the scroll and I was a surprised to find out that it hold a complete fighting style and a very different from any of the ones I had seen until the moment. Almost everything revolved on the legs, I could have assumed that it was Taekwondo or somewhat similar to Capoeira yet every offense or defense required the legs primarily and hands to move the body, it was hard to describe everything at detail with only a quick check up on the contents so with the images I could tell that my body had the capabilities to perform every move set.

"Danzo-sama wants you to learn this." That was unnecessary to tell me, the topic of conversation clear I could deduce the following situation and by any chance I was actually wrong then she could have reprimanded me in an instant.

I wasn't going to thank him, but thE new fighting style would be very useful without a doubt; besides my free mixed style couldn't hope work forever. But at the moment I couldn't keep reading the scroll for more information about it, there were a couple of things I needed to know.

"Can I know why he send you instead of any of my teammates?" It had been a while since I saw Torune and Fuu, I knew that they were safe and alive but my point still stood.

True to be spoken I kinda missed speaking with them.

"They are currently occupied with a mission." The literal rough true had to be said by her, either way it was an expected answer. "You will not get involved in them any time soon."

She didn't even give the chance to ask about it.

"Should have expected that." Shrugging my shoulders feigning disinterest was the right course of action, but what kind of mission could be; only the old man would know. Sadly I couldn't pry, he might get angry.

For the moment I laid down with the question, there wasn't much we could talk about even if we knew each other before it wouldn't make any difference in the current time. She had a mission just like I always had one, though I would like to see her without any accessory or excess of clothes; she might be cute after all.

I should exploit the opportunity if ever arises while Naruto wasn't around or she might get angry at me.

"State your mission." It was time to learn Danzo's words about the matter.

"Assist agent KH-037."

One long look at her was given, but only a tired sigh of defeat came out.

I had a rough idea that he was thinking about Kimimaro and if he could be healed completely then he would become useful once again and involve him with Root, if that was his intention then it would be useless since Kimimaro would always prioritize me before anything.

Loyalty was a very important factor that not many people truly took into account.

"This will not be done by us alone, how should I call you?" Team 8 without a doubt would accept the mission, I had that much faith in Hiruzen and his skills of persuasion. So they also would be curious about the newcomer who was tagging along and not only would be awkward to call her a number but also very suspicious and create problems on the way.

"Temporary codename, Jun." Quite an easy name to remember and common so it would fit very well, however that wouldn't be enough; not even close. More things needed to know in order for a better cooperation and development of our mission, though honestly she was a new companion which I never asked for and forced on me.

"State abilities and personal strength."

"Low jounin, possessor of the Kekkei Genkai of the Futton by artificial means." And quickly she blew the famous steam to create a small cloud to prove her claim, to watch a kekkei genkai was rather interesting, but the mild interest I had was quickly extinguished since it was not natural so it was weaker compared to the real deal.

"That explains your rough voice." Since the body wasn't adapted to deal with such ability then the body was forced to adapt to the inserted elements, in other words her original voice was lost and her whole respiratory system could have some issues which I hope it wouldn't be a burden on the way.

Though if my worries proved correct then I would be able to do much to deal with her, since she was an artificial user then there was quite a fortune invested on her so losing her would be also an intolerable loss to the organization.

"Correct."

At least knowing that she was skilled it could prove to be useful in case something went wrong, even knowing that we had planned many countermeasures and fail safes for the trip one more layer of protection wouldn't hurt.

"That will do for now, go to my residence and wait for further instructions." I was supposed to return but with her appearance it delayed me quite a bit and put me in another position, so before I could return I needed to make another trip back to the shop; since she was going to accompany me then it was out of courtesy to cook for her as well; honestly I didn't know why I felt that generous especially to an unknown agent which I never seen before, I simply felt like it and it should be enough reason for me.

"What should I do in case if a third party were to appear?" She was right with the question but at least she should be capable to elaborate a story which could be easily followed by the other party, it wasn't really that difficult feat to achieve. It seemed that Danzo sent me one that wasn't really smart.

"Tell them that you are my old teammate from our dissolved Team, and if they ask too many question then no longer answer." Without a doubt it would be very disrespectful action but since she was never going to be seen again after escorting KImimaro then appearances or first impression mattered very little. Besides since I believed she wasn't very smart then she would definitely slip flaws in the story; the seal would stop her from talking anything Root related but elaborating a lie and fail at it had nothing to do with the seal.

"Very well."

With that said she jumped away and went ahead with the first task given to her.

In the meantime I had some shopping to do.

But...

"Do not dare to move, you will be taken into custody." The voice belonged to an adult woman and it came from above, obviously with the meaning of the sentence and her tone she had by any means good intentions but not because she was like that but because it was her job to act against any suspicious behaviour.

"May I ask why?" Of course I wasn't in the wrong and the idea of my wrongdoing was actually clear but hearing it again would be better than make assumptions even if they had very high chances of being correct.

"Your last actions were highly suspicious." I didn't turn and face her to give my reply right away, it was just for the thrill of suspense and also I was aware of the protocol of the Anbu, unlike us they couldn't openly attack suspects or targets unless orders from a superior, said target had already proven guilty or he attacked.

I took only a brief moment to ponder about my luck.

That was exactly what I feared the moment I went to an alley to speak with the now named Jun, no matter if it was inside the village or the person looked extremely normal one just couldn't ignore little details or gut feelings, especially when suspicious actions had been just witnessed. She probably also wanted to detain Jun or maybe another of her colleagues had been already sent and talking with her at the very moment.

Perhaps it was time for common cliche about the big misunderstanding to occur, and mistakenly fight against the Anbu and show my talent and surprise the public with it and other pointless things. Of course that wasn't going to be my situation; not even close, we had a protocol to avoid ay unnecessary confrontation against our relative own forces. And also show evidence of ours claims which was usually backed up by showing the silence seals but since I didn't have one I could only hope that my words were enough.

"Anbu-san, we are the unseen one who support the great tree of Konoha from the depths of earth, agent KH-037. Please do not interfere with our mission or I will be forced to retaliate." From what I was able to gather, there had been confrontation between the two factions before thanks to miscommunication, obviously I was on edge preparing my own weapons to retaliate if things had a turn for the worst.

I had confidence in escape but not enough to say that I could leave unscatted, after all a good number of the Anbu corps were ranked jounin; chunins were also between their ranks but the number couldn't compare and if one were to test them they could be also considered jounins in some areas.

Pity that I wasn't carrying my mask with me, remaining incognito would have been beneficial in the long run.

"Kichiro…what..."

No feelings, no rational thoughts but pure instinct to immediately slit the throat of the Anbu as soon as possible, however my blade was only touching the neck frozen solid because I wasn't a mindless killer.

Thinking in my last action, I had just tried to kill somebody because she knew my name, such pathetic reason to kill?

The damage was done but the Anbu never tried to retaliate just stood there watching me with that emotionless mask.

My sharp end of my tanto was giving a very deadly caressing to her throat, with much hesitation I removed it despite my concern were directed at the moment she would attack me if her life wasn't in any imminent danger anymore.

But nothing happened afterward, she just stood there again.

"You aren't part of the squad assigned by the Hokage, so who are you?" Hiruzen had assigned a very long time ago an Anbu squad to protect her in her early years, so they also knew about me and appearance but a complete stranger that was way too suspicious for my liking.

"Answer in the next five seconds or I'll be forced to retaliate."

"I'm Tori from the Anbu Corps, scout division."

I had the feeling that I had seen here before but simply I couldn't remember when or where.

Tori, that particular agent truly ringed a few distant memories but not very important to me or my life, and the Anbu who were assigned to s were assigned to us were Kuma, Inu, Neko so Tori was never mentioned.

"Identity accepted."

Perhaps she was had relations with the other members, yet they had the vow of confidentiality obviously they wouldn't talk even between themselves to keep privacy and the risk of information leaks.

"Kichiro what happened to you?"

Her voice, her voice, her body, her everything pointed as if she had been there all the time and knew about me very well, like I held some importance to her. But how could be so shocked and acting like I just died?

Her legs could no longer support her whole weight combined with the reality and finally feel to her knees while I just looked the affair with my relative interest, I still tied to find that particular memory with her being there.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." A begging hand wanted to touch me, to grasp me and hold me close but such affection wasn't one which wanted. It was unconscious reaction but I felt very repulsed by such thing.

"I failed you…" If she was somebody who actually knew me since I was only a kid then she should have at least let her existance clear to me and let me know that somebody actually cared, but not even a miserable day I knew about her.

She had no right to beg for my forgiveness,

"Forgive me…"

I was desperate for affection back then, and nobody came.

Thanks to her my mood went in an instant very bad, I didn't want to buy anything else from what I already have, I simply wanted to leave that person behind and forget that she ever existed because she never existed to me before, why should she exist in my current present?

* * *

"Onii-chan!" With the first given inside of my apartment was enough signal to receive a very warm and quite tight welcome from Naruto's part, well I was always accustomed to her greetings but something was a little off; only very experienced person like me could feel the small difference and find the little details of the whole picture.

Yet before doing a comment about the possible issue first was required to return the affection in full. Regrettably my whole focus wasn't on the hug but also on my surroundings and with only a glance I could already tell the issue with her since I could see Jun who took seat on the sofa and was currently observing us. Though omitting the awkward part, I could finally see that she possessed a long straight black hair which was held in a pony-tail style since she no longer had that hood over her head.

Since Kimimaro wasn't around to greet me as well then I assumed that he was already resting on his bedroom as instructed.

"Yes?"

"Who is she?!" The accusatory finger was actually a very rude action but that clearly didn't pass through her mind; and not only that but to yell it out loud so everybody present could hear it very clear.

Honestly speaking I was aware of her attitude very well but there should be a limit for everything, right? Anyways knowing the circumstances I couldn't entirely blame her, after all I was the one who specifically told Jun to remain silent which was a very rude gesture to other people.

I didn't think it through, but nothing impossible to fix.

After all I had ingredients to cook a bribe for her, but first I needed to put her down since it would be a bit troublesome to prepare and cook with somebody hanging on your waist.

"Naruto, meet Jun an old teammate of mine." Pretty sure that Jun had already presented herself with the basis but saying it again wouldn't hurt, my focus was mostly to the cooking apron which was hanging on the usual spot as ever.

Yet Naruto had a hand pulling my shirt. "How long?"

I could tell that she was going to inquire a lot more about the past since Jun wasn't going to speak a single word to her.

"A year probably, our team was dissolved after a mission went FUBAR." I did lose a teammate on a mission which went FUBAR, I couldn't remember the details very well but it happened on Iwa territory we didn't lose many numbers thankfully and I only suffered light wounds; but true to be spoken Boulder forces are extremely deadly in mountains.

"Oh...I'm sorry." The dark cloud which was suddenly created by me was passed down to her, giving a sour feeling after all it was supposed to be a bad memory. But I hardly felt something about it, the only thing that bothered me about that particular experience was how those bastards literally came out from solid rocks.

Inspiration for me to apply such technique and being able to practically dive and swim on any terrain.

"Don't worry it got over it a long time ago."

"But why is she here?" First time for everything, Naruto was acting way too out of character in such short amount of time, a normal person could already tell the situation, only idiots or retards would be very dense about it. However Naruto acting that possessive was in a way cute and since Jun didn't hold any importance to me I was going to allow her to continue to act the cute and jealous imouto.

"About that, I need to do a short trip with Kimimaro to treat his illness. Jun was kind enough to give an extra hand." I wanted to pinch her cheeks or pat her head at watching her how flustered she got the moment I mentioned Jun but I had o to hold back such urge and calm down by scratching the back of my head.

But it looked like she sensed my intentions.

"Only the three of you?" Crossing both arms she said, and also raise a questioning eyebrow as if she wanted to judge me for a misdeed of mine.

"Hinata's team is going too." I didn't do anything wrong so that wasn't going to bother me in the slightly but I would still take it as a cute action from her part, pretending to be a responsible and respectable adult.

At my answer she didn't did any noticeable facial changes, but remained in the same stance.

"How long will you be out?"

I had the feeling that she would keep me for a while, but I had patience and so had my stomach. But in her case I had my doubts sooner or later she would be the first to notice the fact that she was missing dinner.

"Around two days or three" It was a speculation but not the time that required to travel but the time it could take Kimimaro treatment or analysis, also I knew that Tsunade wasn't going to reject me not because since money was involved, though it wouldn't be even close to pay her debts but it would surely give her something to waste in gables and alcohol.

And if he actually dared to be stubborn then a very simple threat would be enough to shut her up, of course not one about injuring her or her life but simply revealing her location to all the debt collectors.

Being somebody drowned in debts must suck.

"Ok, but can I tell you something?" At least it wasn't another question directly or indirectly related to Jun, her eyes were showing sign of plead. She truly wanted to say something to me but to ask about it then it meant that there was another condition to be met before she could tell me that something.

"Sure." I flashed a genuine smile, to deny something so simple would be to heartless from my part and I was curios to hear her out.

She immediately went for another hug between my arms.

"Alone." She whispered since she was already close.

I sighed, the condition was for us to be alone.

"Jun do us the favor." Honestly having a third party was a bit uncomfortable to express affection, it could be said that it was somewhat embarrassing. And per Naruto's request she needed to go anywhere but right in the same room with us.

"I don't like her."

To speak such words with a straight face ...

Such boldness!

"Why?" She wasn't putting any effort in disguising her painfully obvious jealousy, was that intentional or she simply didn't notice her sudden change of attitude? Besides she was only hostile towards Jun and not with Hinata the moment I mentioned her, might be because they were friends?

"I don't know, I just have the feeling that she is no good." Or perhaps she had a very sensitive perception and could tell that in fact Jun had ill intentions towards me and Kimimaro, she didn't have my full trust so I was planning to sleep with one eye open as long as she stayed near us. But Kimimaro was fully capable to defeat her so I had little to no worries if worst came to worst, and that was only the internal possibilities because the externals possibilities already had their appropriate countermeasures.

"Eh, okay?" Though I couldn't just accept an argument that weak, so of course I had some hesitation to reply.

Then she tightened our shared moment, I actually felt how much strength she put in her arms.

"And I am going too."

Always expect the unexpected, but truly speaking? I didn't expect that.

* * *

 **AN: Honestly I just felt like writing the jealous little sister who fears to lose her brother attention, i'm pretty aware that it can be cliche or the whole interactions are cliche. but I had been thinking about it for quite a time so then I realized why not now? Is my story and I can whatever I want it. And done! Like it? Hate it?**

 **Also I'm hyped to see that I have broke through the 200 follows! Now is time for the favs too! And also 2 new groups added my story, though they aren't popular but still!**

 **Man that's great, but this was all thanks to you!**

 **Next chap I will give you double presents!**

 **Ja ne!**


	33. Chapter 34

_**Disclaimer:Why you gotta be so rude?**_

 _ **Don't you know I'm human too**_

 _ **Why you gotta be so rude**_

 _ **I'm get those rights anyway**_

* * *

One could have believed that things should go according to their own expectations and my own expectations were that for starters Naruto was a fresh genin recently graduated from the academy so as one she had to operate in her designated team along with her already designated jonin instructor and so on.

I gave my fair share of reasons explaining why I didn't want to bring her team for the mission but if it was just her then I would have considered, her character and attitude also put into analysis along with the strict rules and protocols of the village.

So when she demanded her position in the mission I just explained her all the reasons and rules to her and she left a bit angry, since I knew her better she wasn't really angry at me more like she was frustrated about the rules of the village.

And of course the glint of jealousy towards Jun, I was very perceptive after all if I wasn't then I could have died long ago.

Anyways at the next day when everything was ready to proceed as planned Naruto came running and yelling with a scroll with an official seal, and it was way too obvious to known what was written on that piece of paper.

Though I was surprised that it was also approved by Kakashi and Jiraiya. But having her around was going to bring joy to my travel.

Though there was one personal favorite.

Sasuke would be totally pissed at knowing that Naruto alone had the chance to go on a C-rank escort mission while he was cleaning houses, both of us would totally rub salt on that wound of his just for fun.

And if he dared to retaliate in any form I would beat the living shit out of him for insubordination.

Power corrupts, I was already corrupted.

It didn't take us very long to reach the town and also there was no problem on the way, no bandits or enemy shinobis and thankfully no Orochimaru interference in any way. I was truly glad that any of my countermeasures or protocols in case of worst case scenarios came to be used.

Only idiots would be disappointed that no action occurred, that reminds me to hit Kiba on the head and and pull Naruto's ear since both of them were disappointed that they didn't get to do anything cool in their young ninja standards.

And Kimimaro had no trouble in going to our pace despite I told him to don't push himself very hard, quite dedicated guy I had under me, if I was his boss in a corporation then he would have earned a promotion a long time ago.

The town itself was quite vivid wth streets bustling with people especially with street merchants yelling out loud their products, rather strange sight to behold for such town, it was mostly common for merchant district in big cities.

Ignoring everybody we stopped at the center of the town or what was designated as the center, downtown whatever the name designated to it.

"Alright, Hinata I will need your Byakugan." Having her around would totally save me all the time I could have wasted in searching for that drunk woman wherever she was gambling or drinking.

Byakugan was really useful, like having the most advanced GPS for any kind of place. And also like a radar.

Kiba and Akamaru could have worked as well but we didn't have anything that belonged to Tsunade so it was impossible to track her in that manner.

"I-I will do my best." Her stutter, an exclusive trait of her. I felt like teasing her just a bit but with her sensei around that totally wouldn't be a wise course of action especially knowing how overprotective she can be.

"Kurenai-san please book rooms for us in a decent inn, I will take care of the bill" She was the adult in our group and also the most responsible one besides me, so she was the best option for the job.

"Very well." No drama coming from her and did as asked so that left the young ones behind without a task except for Hinata.

So first I started with the boys .

"You guys can have a break but don't do something stupid." The last part was mostly directed to Kiba since Shinobi as an Aburame knew what and what needs to to do very well. And for Akamaru he had to behave even if he was a ninken with intelligence the puppy was still that, a puppy.

Before I could designate another task Naruto was quick to ran in front of me with a face filled with energy and expectation for something cool, in other words the common face of a relatively innocent kid.

"What about me Kichiro-kun?" I was startled for a second since I was mostly used Naruto calling me onii-chan, perhaps she was feeling a bit shy in calling me with that name in front of so many of her friends either way I had the perfect unspoken excuse to tease her.

Immediately I put a very straight and serious face getting all the attention on me just like I wanted.

"Your task is very important." I placed both arms on her shoulders connecting our gazes so she see how serious I was and how important was the task I was going to give her, of course she got even more excited.

A couple of breaths and I finally delivered her very important task.

"Stay cute as long as possible."

"B-baka!" I laughed as she pushed me away with a red face, though I was the only one laughing a bit awkward if not embarrassing they were just staring at me as if I was kind of weird person. Honestly I expected them to laugh with me or at least be amused.

Better just to move on to the next topic and leave behind the last one to avoid more awkwardness.

Turning around I was greeted by the stoic eyes behind the goggles.

"Jun, patrol the perimeters of this town."

"I will."

After her monotonous reply she quickly vanished from our group, somehow professional leave and also very cool. It gave me the idea to also have a cool or badass entrance and exit.

But that was something for latter date I had a Sannin to find and a loyal follower to cure.

"Let's go!"

"Wait! What about me?!" Though I was abruptly stopped by my cute blondie who quickly latched on my arm not letting me go anywhere. If everybody would have laughed back then I would have teased her a little more but since that didn't happen then it wouldn't have any point and it would only make me look as a very mean person.

In other words I pondered her question just a little.

"Come with us." I didn't really have any task for her honestly speaking she was just tagging along and I couldn't think something that she could perform flawlessly it was like Kiba and Shino; but I could have her for company and deepen our bonds.

From that point onwards our group got reduced to only four members, after I told Hinata the specifics she mostly stayed focused on her task and with active Byakugan, it still was rather weird to see so many bulging veins around her eyes; it looked painfully to be honest.

"By the way you didn't tell me who we were meeting." Naruto quickly took away my focus on Hinata's dojutsu with her sudden remark and it was indeed true, I never told her the specifics of the mission just that Kimimaro needed treatment.

"You never asked." I shrugged my shoulders as well, no point to overthink such a simple answer. But since she asked I had the common sense to tell her who we were searching for. "Anyways, the only person capable of curing Kimimaro is Tsunade Senju."

It was my hope that she could totally cure him, or at least to slow down or stop it from spreading even further. Though I had to consider the reality which was that she was a complete drunkard and impulsive gambler.

Nobody would have any kind of faith on such kind of people.

"Wait, you mean Tsunade of the Sannin?!" Except for innocent kids who prefer to see the world in their own perspective or what others of trust told them.

Pretty much everything that Naruto learned about Tsunade came from books and Hiruzen stories, any of us told her the truth about the current Tsunade it would be a very big disappointment to watch her hero in such sorry state. Well not only her but every single Kunoichi who put Tsunade as her role model.

"Yep, the very same."

"Wow! You heard that Hinata-chan?! We will meet the most awesome and kickass kunoichi ever!" Unlike Naruto Hinata wasn't that surprised since I've already told her and also that she was doing her best in checking her surroundings for any signs of Tsunade. But it was quite troublesome for her if my excited imouto keep shaking her and diverting her focus from the assigned task.

"Naruto don't make a fuss, we don't need unwanted attention specially for her." I said while pulling her away from my little radar and moved her next to me.

"Oh right! She is still on her secret mission right?!" Her eyes glimmered with admiration and expectation and who couldn't forget the excited smile that all kids gave? But if she was gonna tell the secret then it wouldn't be a secret anymore.

I couldn't bring myself to destroy that illusion that Hiruzen gave her, at least not yet or she might be capable of ran straight to her and give a monologue or something to the drunk woman and totally piss her off.

"Aaah, Innocence is such a bliss."

Only after that quote left my mouth I realized that I said it out loud.

I turned away and walked a little faster than her.

"Wait! What do you mean with that?!" Obviously it would pick Naruto attention the only thing I could do was to feign ignorance and keep walking.

"Onii-chan!"

She gave up on the question after five solid minutes.

* * *

Even with the Byakugan it took us around one hour before Hinata was able to pinpoint her location, besides if we were to search every tavern or any building related to gamble it would have definitely taken us more than one single hour so it was quite satisfactory time for me.

However I didn't remain totally idle and unattentive, we might hadn't encountered any of Orochimaru's forces on the way but that didn't mean that they weren't hiding in the town and watching us in secret, that was the reason Jun was tasked to create a patrol a perimeter with her strength she could defeat any shinobi that might come our way but if it was one of the infamous Sound four then I had little faith on her to actually win that fight.

But at the moment I should think much about possible ambushes, I needed to talk with Tsunade and wrap everything up as soon as possible to return to a better protection inside Konoha's walls.

"Let's go Kimimaro." I pushed the door open and motioned him to enter first but he was stopped by an eccentric blonde girl who tried to enter without permission, good thing my reflexes were good and I was able to caught her before she could set a foot inside.

"Wait! I want to go too." Knowing her intentions I quickly stood between the two, I said before that Naruto wasn't going to meet Tsunade yet. Also I didn't want to destroy her role model so soon, at least a couple of months more and then we can throw the cold bucket of reality on her.

"Naruto please stay outside with Hinata, these are serious matter to discuss." I was serious and my position would never change no matter she could come up with.

She glared at me angrily for a moment and tried to pass by force, sadly she was underestimating my strength and stubbornness as well. She even tried to fool me with clones but Kimimaro intervened messing up her plan.

Realizing that brute force wasn't going to work she quickly changed tactics and used her status as a kid to convince me.

Funny thing was that Hinata was there just watching our squarell.

"But…"

My willpower was also strong so no matter what charms or pity she could pretend I wasn't going to fall for any of them, but watching her try so hard was a bit saddening to me to keep watching.

"Please Naruto…" An idea popped in my mind and quickly pulled out my wallet to retrieve a considerable sum of ryo "Here, buy yourself something nice or a nice meal." Money was the best way to deal with kids, giving them money and freedom to do whatever they wanted with it.

Though there was also the responsibility of leaving the two alone to do as they please, I didn't really have much concern for Naruto since I knew she would be fine; Akatsuki was way too early to act.

I actually felt concerned about Hinata's safety, being a member of the Main house and not possessing the Bird Cage seal and many lusted for the Byakugan just as they used for a pair of Sharingan. She was timid and usually silent so it wouldn't be a problem to take her along to meet Tsunade but she would hear us and see us perfectly clear which I didn't want to happen at all. I wasn't going to be very kind when talking with Tsunade, better said I wasn't going to show any kind of sympathy and I didn't want to tarnish my reputation.

Besides I was quite sure that she had her own trump cards to escape in case of danger.

"Fine." Clear frustration on her face she snatched the money from my hands and begrudgingly walked away dragging Hinata as well who was surprised at the sudden pull, kids needed to understand their places after all.

But knowing her character I had doubts that she would actually listen to me, there was the chance that later she would sneak in since I wouldn't be at the door blocking her anymore; but I decided to trust her that she wouldn't do it.

"And don't forget to stay away from strangers!" I shouted the reminder before they left my range of vision, it was a very important thing that strangers shouldn't be trusted especially the ones who offered free candy or cookies.

"We aren't kids anymore!"

The reply was very quick.

"For me you still are..." The shinobi world was a really fucked up place, kids that didn't even reach their teens were already killing machines thirsting for the next battle, I honestly didn't care about other kids but I suddenly felt that fraternal feeling to protect her from the outer world.

"Anyways let's go to meet our failure of a sanin." It was better to wrap things as soon as possible and enjoy some free time.

For a relative small town it had a decent building for gamblers, it reminded me the small sized casinos with only had slot machines, though I could see some tables for poker and blackjack and quite number of people playing. Hinata deserved some praise to be able to be able to find Tsunade despite been between such crowd.

I didn't need time to search the entire building, it was very quick to find a blonde woman slumped on the table with many empty bottles around her which was rather strange to allow somebody to have that much of alcohol inside a public establishment but knowing her character she probably used brute strength or threatened others to leave her alone.

But Shizune wasn't around making me wonder what she was up to just for a brief moment of my precious time.

Indirect question answered when I saw her coming with a the very well known bag for garbage and proceeded to collect all the empty bottles.

Even from my distance I could see the sadness in her eyes and also the hardships of life, a little amount of pity passed through my heart.

But then I didn't care anymore, Kimimaro's health was far more important than happiness of a third party.

It was a sudden surge of confidence which let me walk without any restraint and sit on the same table with Tsunade, she didn't notice me but Shizune totally did. She was surprised at our arrival but then her face was filled with concern.

She wasn't my intended target so my focus diverted from her to the drunk woman on the table.

"Hello Tsunade, it seems you aren't having a good day are you?" Kimimaro stood besides me with a blank expression and with a quick glance I noticed that Shizune face immediately paled.

I didn't do anything wrong in my opinion so I didn't quite catch why she had that particular reaction.

But my attention went to Tsunade groggily lifted her head to look at me with a very angry expression, but with the deep blush thanks to the alcohol that anger had lost its meaning and effect on others.

"I've already... told you that I will pay you...later." She wasn't dead drunk but she the alcohol on her system was high enough to give her issues when speaking, though her reply answered why Shizune was acting in that way probably they didn't have anymore excuses or they were out of cash; I was inclined to believe the later.

In a very cruel world when debt couldn't be paid with money there were other ways to pay a debt, and it only worked for unfortunate women.

"Please give us more time, we surely have the money by then." Shizune looked really pitiful to my eyes, she really was hoping that me 'the debt collector' would believe her words and leave.

Should I become a bastard? That was the sudden question which surfaced in my mind involuntarily, it was those kind of thoughts that would never try but always come to mind no matter what.

The idea itself as a teenager was in fact tempting, but as a reasonable and logical youth such ridiculous short term reward was stupid. Also Naruto would know and hate me for life so the idea was only to remain in the deepest part of my mind where it belongs.

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not a debt collector or related to them." Her eyes somehow made my throat go dry in an instant, making me wish wished that I had brought a drink with me. She probably scared the weak willed collectors with only that stare.

Shizune just looked relieved that I wasn't what they feared, thought looking at her again I just noticed that she didn't have TonTon with her.

"Speak." It was clear that she didn't want me to waste her breath judging by her harsh tone.

"No matter how much time had passed, you are still the best medic in the world." I wasn't going to give a speech of how great she was but an introduction of my intentions of my visit. "So I need of your ability to cure my friend illness or at least find a way to slow it down, of course I will properly pay you."

I signaled him with my head and he bowed to show his respect.

Tsunade changed her attention from me to him a couple of times, but being under effects of alcohol I couldn't believe that she gain very much just by thinking and observation.

"How much?"

"Twenty five thousands." Those day when only twenty miserable ryos were a fortune to me, but moving that aside; that was technically all my money and meant everything single bit of it. For my published book discounting all cost and all that stuff at most I got fifty thousands; which was a good sum, and from Jiraiya's promise it was around ten thousands.

Supposedly I had around sixty grands but over 30 went to all the expenses of the mission including the proper payment for a C rank. And the rest was to motivate Tsunade since if I were to offer less digits then she would become way too stubborn to accept, moreover I was pretty sure that she would ask for more.

Honestly I wanted to buy something nice and expensive to show off to everyone with that hard earned money.

"Too cheap." It was a very quick reply, and she even sounded offended at my offer which made me feel angry at her for a moment. Probably it was too little for her because she would bet all of it in one single round of gambling.

So pathetic...

"Tsunade-sama that..." Shizune was the first to argue, and judging by the kind of face she was giving she really wanted that money, for what?

I didn't really care.

"I'm the one who is speaking Shizune." Such harsh response to the person that had tolerated and accepted your aptitude for who know how long, but the same word lingered around.

She was pathetic.

Truly pathetic.

A Renowned kunoichi and feared across the shinobi world and also coming from one of the most powerful clans that existed, and directly descendant of the most powerful Shinobi that has ever existed.

To be reduced to a hopeless drunk and gambler?

And even to dare to demand things from others?

It was a terrible joke that brought amusement for how terrible it was.

"What is so funny brat?" Of course she quickly silenced my laugh by slamming the table, laughing out of nowhere specially after said person spoke to you is a very rude action if not an insult.

Kimimaro tensed at the violent action but my hand quickly grabbed his, it was indication to do nothing about it. Besides it was to protect him from possible harm; he might be skilled but still no match against a sannin.

It was a brief slip from my part, It wouldn't happen again.

"The price isn't open to negotiations Tsunade and also this isn't something you can refuse; I'm being generous by the fact that I'm actually paying you." In fact I never planned on paying her, not even that amount but it was thanks to Hiruzen powerful convincing skills that I decided to give that amount out of the kindness from my heart. However I wasn't a smooth talker and I didn't like to beg or to try to be a nice person to those who I didn't personally know.

My words triggered her.

Perhaps if it wasn't for Shizune insistence she would have smashed the table into pieces right on the spot.

"Are you threatening me?" No harsh action were done but that didn't mean that she didn't do anything, I could clearly feel all the KI coming out of her and her sharp gaze nailed on me. Such imposing position was truly to don't be reckoned with but with all my previous training I wasn't going to back away so easily the first time she tried to intimidate me only affected me because I was caught off the guard.

Nobody commits the same mistake twice.

"No, I'm just stating the facts." Unfazed I continued speaking and raised a finger. " Option A; you can accept the money, treat my friend here and be on our separate ways or Option B; you can refuse or try to scam me and I will immediately reveal your location to all the debts collectors to come and pester you to death; so don't force me to do something harsh."

"You are playing a dangerous game."

I had been playing the dangerous game for years, committing mistakes and getting profits as well.

"I'm not stupid, but the real question is, are you?" Perhaps the sharpness of my eyes couldn't compare to hers but at least it expressed my position against her, not a single step back.

"Fine, Shizune give him the address. You can come tomorrow in the afternoon, I would rather treat somebody when I'm completely sober."

"Fine by me, just to let you know I will pay AFTER you finish, you had become rather infamous after all." I added before she could leave the table, after all I didn't want her to plot something or at least I would rather have her alerted that I was expecting her to do something against me.

Obviously Tsunade was a cruel person and would actually try to kill me or harm me but she could always drug me or knock me out and run away with my hard earned money. I was a thief after all, so of course I knew many ways how to steal from others.

Actually, only after I recognized my bad habits I realized that I could get some pocket change from the civilians of the town. Only I needed to wait for night and start to collect some money. It would be so easy at night since many would drop drunk at the streets, very easy to snatch purses and wallets. And if that wasn't enough then going inside a house was also an option.

But a small piece of paper drove me away from my train of thoughts of immorality.

"Here it is, and please be sure to don't be followed." Grabbing it I read the address but since I didn't know the town at all I could only save the paper and read it later in case I forgot the a detail.

Another thought invaded my mind, and it was quite logic because how could she treat Kimimaro if they lacked equipment? Shizune was speech the moment I mentioned that amount of money and Tsunade was also interested but wanted even more. Penniless sure they were, and so by common sense they didn't had anything on them but their clothes.

"By the way what kind of things you need to proceed? I will buy them and the excess you can keep it." The last part was out of kindness and also to try to get in good spitrits with Shizune, she would be a good mediator and influence to Tsunade when Naruto comes to convice her.

Well that if Hiruzen were to die…

Better don't think about it...

"Give me a moment I will give you a list." But she stood there right after she searched a paper inside her...empty pockets. It gave a sudden realization where did she even get the pen to actually write the address.

That was way too sad to watch.

I didn't want her to embarrass herself even more so I just handed her the paper and a pen a had in my pockets.

"Could you give me details about your friend's problem?" She didn't recover from the last moment if her blush of shame was any indication.

With long sigh I began my explanation and more details were added by Kimimaro himself.

* * *

Omake

 _D-ranks missions are to die for!_

Every day a routine had to be followed without fault when the body was involved since a day or one set less was capable shatter all progress in matter of time, could be days or weeks but that single moment of laziness could ruin everything.

So after an arduous training session it was time for Kichiro relax by walking around Konoha without any particular place in mind, to remain on bed hours wasn't very appealing since there was little to no entertainment to accompany it.

To enjoy his walk he even bought sweet dango, ice cream was also an option but the dango ha sale so everything for the sake of money.

"Onii-chan!" Sadly he had to stop his next bite and step the moment a voice very well known to him reached his ears, with a quick judgment he could tell that she wasn't calling him to greet or talk but she was actually troubled about something.

Of course there were a priority regarding her and dango so without seconds though he quickly swallowed all remaining dango in one go, leaving naked sticks at hand and a completely confused Naruto who quickly turned to the worry from before.

"Yes Naruto?" Wiping all traces of evidence he finally gave his reply.

"Onii-chan, you must help me!" Naruto also acted very quick and throw herself at his feet with a pleading expression accompanied by tears threatening to fall from the corner of her eyes.

It was clearly an over exaggerating from her part but that indicated that she was seriously in need of help.

"Sure...just tell me." He could understand very well but the image that she was giving to the public was rather weird, and totally would bring rumors between the masses that catch a glimpse of her actions.

She wasn't being subtle after all.

"Well...etoo..you see…I did something really wrong."

"Oookay?"

"And I need your help to solve it."

"Naruto what exactly did you do?"

"Well…" She dropped her backpack and with a lot of hesitation she pulled out a box, even then she became paler as she handed the box. Kichiro was quick to realize that the box had some weight and the closer he brought it a very disgusting smell emanated from the inside, with experience he could tell the difference that it was something burned inside of the box.

In Naruto's side, she was practically dying of stress and impatience, why did he to take so long?!

Kichiro was very clear that he wouldn't know what exactly was wrong and it was mess she got into while the box remained a mystery so with one hand he slowly lifted the cover.

 **"HOLY SHIT!"**

The box was sent flying and the blonde Jinchuuriki wasn't quick enough to catch the box in the middle of its fall, resulting to land on the floor.

And reveal its content to the public of the streets.

The faint of heart could only faint on the spot and the weak and innocent could only throw up their breakfast after such invasive sight.

Only more embarrassment was added to the fire and Naruto could only feel the shame and the need to dig a hole and never leave until the shame totally disappeared.

"NARUTO **WHAT THE _FUCK?!_ "**

"I'm sorry!"

"That thing deserves censorship!" If only existed a jutsu to create the famous black strip of censorship, even the mosaic distortion worked as well, but with so much regret that didn't exist so with quick improvisation Kichiro buried the public offense so everybody present could continue their days without worries though some of them would remember that for a very long time.

If it wasn't for Naruto insistence he would have send that back to the depths of hell.

"Alright, you definitely show me that for a reasons, so?" Even if everything happened relatively quickly regrettably he was able to hold some details from that THING which one was clear that it used to be a small animal which somehow ended up in many charred parts.

Kichiro sternly looked at Naruto, he really needed to know how she was able to burn and cut a poor soul despite she didn't have fire affinity and he didn't know any related wind jutsu.

Naruto shied away from his gaze for a moment before she gathered her courage to reply.

"Remember when you told me how your chakra strings worked and how cool they were?"

It was after the sparring match that he took his time to explain how his main weapon worked and how useful it was for other things; Naruto was very interested in learning how to use strings after that day.

"Yeah I do…" The realization hit like a bucket of cold chillin water, his became totally speech at understand what she was implying. "...you didn't." And he truly didn't want to believe that Naruto had just done that.

Yet the nod filled with remorse and regret done very slow confirmed his fears.

His hand out of instinct went to his hair he could grasp and support the idea on his head alone. "Oh my fucking god…" Those words said it all for him and the message was clear, but the blonde jinchuuriki couldn't accept since her headstrong attitude and others factors as well that were yet to be revealed.

"It wasn't my fault! It was that cat" She was quick to argue back, of course she wasn't to totally accept the the weight since the poor cat was known to be way too annoying and frustrating to catch, very infamous cat that met with a very bad end at the hand of a not so innocent little girl.

"Naruto I also told you that my strings had two phases a lethal and a non lethal one and each one had a different flow and concentration of chakra." And not to mention that it took him a lot of time to learn and practice to be as good as he currently was, the consequences of trying to use the chakra strings at the first time without prior practice was inside the box buried under the dirt.

"Oh…"

"And did you forget that your chakra is different than mine?!" As a JInchuuriki the chakra they possessed was corrosive to any others that weren't the host or other vessels, raw chakra was as dangerous as sulfuric acid or even compared to lava.

"That explains why Tora was set on fire." He could already picture the very moment of the incident, it was way too much of animal cruelty.

It was sadism!

"Naruto...this is fucked up." What were they supposed to say to the rest of her team? Or Hiruzen? Even worse, the client?

"I'm sorry." Naruto answered very bad the question.

A sorry was not going to bring Tora back from wherever her soul was sent.

"Just say that is Kakashi's fault."

To sum things up the excuse actually worked.

Kakashi was blamed for Naruto's mistake, and nobody knows what Hiruzen did to him at the office.

The Daymo wife had a heart attack the moment she saw what was supposed to be her precious Tora, but survived the ordeal and thankfully suffered amnesia erasing everything related to Tora.

The physical representation was sent back to the depths of hell so hopefully nobody would ever see its image ever again.

And so Team 7 was immortalized as the very first team to ever fail a D-rank mission in such measure of fucked up lengths.

* * *

 ** _AN: What to say? Ummm...well I'm kind of very distracted person. With so much free time since holidays started I prefered to play Overwatch or others things and also in my Android Last Day of Earth I might add best game so far; truly great game for a mobile platform._**

 ** _Actually I wanted to to write another Omake but it would have taken me another couples of days and I didn't want to let you wait more than necessary so next chap will have the second Omake._**

 ** _Ja ne!_**


	34. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: Kishimoto is NTRING me with Naruto's rights, it was ME who was supposed to BE NTRING HIM DAMMIT!**

* * *

We took our time in buying everything that Shizune wrote on the list since we weren't in a hurry that day, in other words we ventured all over the town in search for the best price. Thought at the end of our search the difference was only one or two ryos in comparison to others prices so it wasn't really much of a gain but I wasn't going to complain anymore.

Kurenai booked us in a decent in as told however I couldn't help to frown the moment I saw the list of prices. The price for a single night wasn-t something out of the ordinary it was acceptable but the inn itself didn't had any offers or bundles, everything had to be separately paid; starting with the food.

Everything was slightly higher than the market price.

She could have definitely found a better place but there was no going back, I could only curse in my mind and move on, and be glad that they weren't charging for hot water.

All of us had a nice dinner in a restaurant, at my expense if I might add, thankfully they were well mannered and conscious so they ordered with moderation unlike a blonde little devil who was within my expectations in expenses.

In the room distributions we had a few complications, which were not surprising anymore the moment Naruto was involved. She simply didn't want Jun around, and Kurenai definitely wouldn't allow Naruto to sleep with me even if we shared a sibling relationship it was still improper for us since we were older than before. And so another double room was booked, making it four.

All of us had a good sleep except for Jun, the perimeter was far more important especially since she found traces of movement inside the perimeter, wasn't going to talk back since I was accustomed to very short sleeping hours so missing sleep wasn't really that much of a deal to any of us. Still my greedy heart had a little ache by paying for a room that she didn't even use.

And by the next day only two persons were eating a very nutritious breakfast at the inn, and by method of elimination it was Naruto and me who happily enjoyed those nutrients, fruits, cereals, bread and a drink made of pseudocereal.

Every bite filled me with energy and an explosion of flavour.

"Come on tell me!"

However what I failed to mention was that Naruto had been pestering me since yesterday about Tsunade, she wanted me to tell her everything about our meeting and also blatantly lie to her at saying since she had been asking me how awesome Tsunade was: which she wasn't at all, more fitting would be pathetic to the core. Of course I kept that to myself, and did my best to avoid the question and changing the topic.

"We had been over this Naruto." I drank another cup of...I think it was called quinoa, before giving my firm reply. Of course I knew it was futile to tell her to stop, but it helped me to gain more time to make up other excuse that had little more chance to succeed.

She increased her insistence and started to shake my arm, the one holding the cup.

"Please!"

I was both glad and proud of my own strength, without the inn would have lost a cup and I would have lost a chunk of my wallet. So after a while of constant shaking and endurance she stopped and sent me a glare.

The frown truly didn't fit her face at all, also she didn't comb her hair very well since I noticed a few strands of hair out of place, she was supposed to have straight long hair not a messy long one; there was quite a lot of time before noon so Kimimaro could organize it for her in the meantime.

Though he left early in the morning with Team 8, and I completely forgot the reason since I was rather in semi-slept state by that time. However I was sure he wouldn't go to train or spar with them for his condition, maybe he was there to observe and explain a few things.

"Why don't you go to train with Hinata's team?" It would deepen the bonds of friendship and she would have fun, also she might learn something new. So it was a good option for her to go with them, so why didn't she?

It wasn't that she fought or had an argument with any of Team 8 members.

"I did go but they were doing something that I already knew, I even told you at the morning." Her answer shut my mouth, how badly my sleep was affected to wake up with such drowsiness to been unable to remember something so easy? But moving that particular side aside I was able to achieve my primary goal and divert her attention towards another topic, so I only needed to think in my next words.

"Then try to walk over water." It wasn't so hard to come up with a proper reply, if one asked why go with water rather than trees well it was because she had trained it since the academy in hopes to improve her terrible chakra control which in fact improved still was in bad terms compared to others, every step always left foot imprints.

"Good idea!" She was happy at hearing my suggestion and showed the usual attitude of immediately rush to practice till the end of the day or the frustration got better of her. Though I didn't know if she would need some tutoring for that exercise, perhaps she knew the theory or perhaps she did not.

Anyways if she truly didn't have any clue how to walk on water then she would rush back and ask me for a few pointers, so I wasn't going to worry anymore since I got a weight off my back, so I could enjoy my breakfast better.

"But there is nowhere to practice." She stopped me from taking another bite of my cereal bar, and imposed her rather saddened face in front of me, Naruto wasn't always like that; well she was like that but never to that extent; even me the one who wanted such results was starting to find them annoying.

Jun presence really had a deep effect on her.

"There is a small artificial lake outside the town, perfect location for training." Speaking of the devil, such unfortunate coincidence to make a turn events and not for a good twist. As a member of Root obviously she had a deep perception of her surroundings and people so she should be aware of Naruto, but by doing absolutely nothing only made matters worse for me.

"Oh, good morning Jun." Was she doing it on purpose? Or her real purpose was to keep an eye on Naruto's emotional stability? Perhaps that was Danzo's real intentions since he was very aware of our attachment so by sending another girl to Naruto's territory would create instability and hostility.

That sounded quite logical and reasonable thing to do and gather information without arising much suspicion.

Still I kinda felt like a possession, it was both degrading and sweet.

But I was overthinking to much and when I decided to check my surroundings again Jun was already seated right next to me and was very close, way too close. If I was some kind of shut in, antisocial person I would have became shy and a blushing weakling in a second, but I pretty much lost my sense of shame in what was considered normal standards; I did have shame, maybe, but in other standards.

"Hey watch it!" Obviously my jealous little imouto was the first to react out of instinct and tried to push her away since I was too close to call it normal, but to my mild surprise she failed to do so; Jun didn't even move an inch from her place and I knew very well that Naruto had some strength to be put into consideration.

It made me wonder how strong Jun was, physically speaking.

Both of us came to the silent agreement to momentarily ignore the blonde Jinchuuriki, after all she would not appear and act in such manner without any proper reason.

Though I found unnecessary to get seriously close to my face.

"Four sound notes have already passed away, but the music has yet to begin." It was a very faint whisper but still loud enough for only me to hear, the information was actually surprising and worrying at the same time. It was clear that Orochimaru was keeping close eye on us and I was pretty sure that Jun couldn't possible wiped out every single sound shinobi, one could have been hiding far away watching everything develop.

Nothing could be done but just finish things as fast as possible, I was deeply worried that the next would be Kabuto or Guren; the Sound four weren't that much of a threat with Kimimaro around but the other two were an uncertainty.

"This morning?"

"Yesterday at midnight."

Good grief for doing night patrols.

"Keep the perimeter at check."

With a simel nod she stood up and walked away, unlike the other time she had a very normal exit. However I was still worried about Orochimaru's movements, I really had the feeling to quickly use our trump card just to stop the anxiety of my heart. But I suppressed the feeling after a couple of breaths, giving me a far more calm mind to think better.

Also a pair of arms hugging me very close, gave me a warm feeling that helped to calm all anxiety within me. And the owner was no other but Naruto; she might had been misbehaving a little but I could overlook it, perhaps buying her something nice would be better.

"Buy me an ice cream." The fact that she didn't bring up anything related of what just happened moment ago made me feel a little uneasy but I was sure she would give me plenty of opportunities to amend my slight mistakes just like the current request.

"Sure."

Both of us had a nice morning.

* * *

"Honestly I'm surprised that you can continue your shinobi life, even more that you show almost no symptoms despite such terrible condition."

After the cozy time at morning we finally went to meet with our drunk sannin to the accorded location where Shizune had been waiting for us and then led us through a secret room. However I couldn't help but be surprised that they were miserable penniless yet they could reside in such fancy room. Unless she was extorting the owners.

After a quick scientific method involving a lot of poking and observation she was finally able to start to speak out loud her observations about my loyal follower.

Kimimaro just remained silent as a statue, per usual.

"That's Kimimaro for you, he is a very dedicated person with most powerful will ever." I was proud of his determination and loyalty but I couldn't help but feel a hint of worry, after all everything in excess could bring harm.

But Tsunade couldn't care less about that, only to do her job, and paid and leave. Obviously to another town to drink and gamble.

"Anyways, with everything that I have managed to gather I can say that is possible to cure him."

I was filled with joy at hearing her verdict, it was truly a relief that I would have him around for a long time. A lot of things and recruiting would be simplified thanks to him.

"That's great! But what's the catch?" Of course I was aware that it wasn't simple as that, something catchy was between those lines.

Tsunade pulled out her small notebook, which I bought, and read out loud her notes.

"For starters I need a pair of new lungs which match his blood type because his are at the borderline I can't make an estimate but soon they will deteriorate and end his life." In other words he would stay alive at least one more year, it was my own deduction since he was supposed to die after the Chunnin exams.

However saying that he only needed a transplant, it was impossible to believe that it was really that simple to cure, Orochimaru would have done that long ago if that was the case after all.

"If it was that simple I would have done so long time ago."

She didn't bother to turn and look at me but continued looking at Kimimaro who remained on bed with a very calm expression, and to clarify one little detail he wasn't naked, just his upper body.

"Of course is not simple, the new lungs are only to replace the deteriorate ones so the real surgery would not have many complications, besides I must reorganize all his chakra network along with his digestive system."

I was a little astonished at hearing the last part, reorganizing an entire body system was seriously big deal. It meant that his body wasn't properly functioning and sooner or later it would stop working resulting in sudden death or an agonizing one.

"That much?" I was glad for my decision to find Tsunade, I would not need to worry from sudden blackouts or a bedridden Kimimaro and that would force me to bring Haku into scene and even with her, many of my plans would be practical impossible to achieve since she was very weak in comparison to him.

" To put it simple his body is practically eating itself, I must reorganize it to stop the process. You might haven't noticed but he has already consumed his appendix."

Her continuation shocked me, also the casual tone as if it was the most common thing for her.

"Shit…" That actually explained why one day he suddenly started to walk a bit strange on his right leg and problems when doing fairly common shores. But I didn't put much thought into it since the next day he was fine as if nothing had happened.

"Second, get him better vitamins and nutrients some of his bones are a bit lacking of calcium."

"But those are already the best ones."

"There are better but are more difficult to obtain and by logic more expensive."

"How much?" It was a daily consumption pills and I bought many bottles of those which weren't cheap at all. Thankfully since he was technically an useful shinobi for the village he had the benefit of a partial insurance to greatly reduce the cost of the medication. But even with that discount both of us occasionally took D-rank mission and sometime I invested some time in stealing wallets to afford all the taxes.

"Perhaps double or triple than the ones you buy."

I could visualize my hard earned money flying away, and soon enough I would return to my former state when I was at the orphanage.

Money…

Everything always revolves about that piece of paper, reason enough to justify my goal. After all being at the top; money soon would follow.

And with my recently acquired funds spent I needed to open and new income again to acquire more funds or I would soon end up in bankruptcy with only buying medicaments for my dear and loyal follower.

"Continue…" I shouldn't be facing so many hardships, if things were only that simple like a power up from the heavens or a mysterious treasure helping me guiding me through the road of success

Perhaps one might think that Naruto also didn't have it easy, but the difference between that version of Naruto and me was the many secret advantages and the infamous plot armor. I was practically starting everything from scratch, though I couldn't deny the fact that I did already posses an outline of everything but in comparison to a powerful demon to power up or powerful ancestor or spiritual connections or sudden power ups, an outline of the future world was a very lacking advantage in comparison to those.

Anyways the most prominent problem at the moment was money, again.

"Third, I need the latest equipment possible to perform the surgery and support from at least three experts." She forgot to mention that a surgery also had a certain cost which wasn't by any means cheap even with the 'shinobi health care' and to add three medical experts which I was totally sure would need to be medical nins…

Being poor sucks!

"The last one can only be done in Konoha." I said that because in truth Konoha was the only hidden village with the most advanced medical expertise and equipment unlike other hidden villages and the ivial medics lacked knowledge to treat a shinobi, but that was a discouraging fact because of Tsunade disposition towards Konoha with all of her sentimental bullshit which I truly didn't care and I found her to be very immature and stupid towards the topic.

But my mouth was sealed, Naruto would be the one to tell her the truth and somehow convince her.

"I know." She shrugged with disinterest and didn't say anything more, however Shizune looked a bit troubled the moment I mentioned Konoha. She probably was too concerned for Tsunade.

"By the way, your condition?" My sudden question earned different reactions, Shizune showed complete shock if the gaping mouth and wide eyes were any indication, while Tsunade froze on the spot for a moment before glaring at me with killing intent leaking. They completely didn't expect me to ask that or maybe that I knew about her not very much of a secret, but my intentions never held any hint of ill intentions; after all Kimimaro's life was on her hands.

"I have already went over it a long time ago."

"I don't want to risk it."

"Try me."

I quickly pulled out a kunai from my pouch and made a long but not deep cut on my palm with the sharp end, it didn't hurt but I couldn't deny that it was odd to voluntarily inflict harm to myself and without any hint of hesitation.

I ignored those thoughts and clenched the wounded hand into a fist forcing blood to leak to the floor, only then my grip softened and revealed a palm painted with red.

Tsunade's attention changed between me and my hand many times but never once she screamed or showed any hint of panic towards blood. Perhaps she was putting a tough front against me or maybe she did cure that phobia either way that was not my business anymore, at later date everything would be revealed.

"So it was true." It would be pointless to continue with the topic and also I was risking for an infection since everything was done without any kind of countermeasures or preparations, so it was a logical course of action to clean my cut and close it.

However I did say that doing the cut was practically painless for me but pouring alcohol directly and spread all over it, that was very VERY painful, no matter how many times I experienced that, the pain never once lessened; not even a little. It always felt like somebody was whipping me with red hot metal.

Of course I put a tough front or it might ruin the image of tough guy or calm and cold or whatever they were thinking about me, pretending faces shouldn't be done.

Yet I was glad that it was a quick thing and with the medical palm it was enough to close and erase the wound leaving no mark at all. My only medical jutsu was useful in many cases and I loved it.

Pocket doctor as long as I had chakra.

"You too are a medic nin?"

Obviously my action did not go unnoticed except that the sannin didn't bother with me unlike Shizune, who had a far better character than her mentor by a big margin.

Simple shake of my head.

"No, I only know that technique." I smiled while saying the truth, after all learning medical techniques costed resources, and only full time medic-nin would receive that education.

"Anyways what can you do for him now?"

"I can clean his lungs and create a new layer of protection on them, at least it can delay his deterioration a couple of months."

That was also good news, though I could only hope that it would last after the chunin exams since that would be time she would return to Konoha.

"If you may?"

With my permission she started to do her magic, while I took seat to ponder about life or sometimes start partial meditation focusing on my chakra paths and control, I couldn't really tell how much time she would take in doing the whole thing, I wished I brought a book with me to read…

Though in fact I did posses something to read in the meantime, the new fighting style Jun delivered to me, by obvious reasons I would never master it in one afternoon or even understand the objective and flow of the move set but it would keep me occupied for a moment.

And so it was, it kept me occupied around an hour before giving up in trying to understand it; it was very complex the theory behind it since every movement required channeling chakra to the point of impact and not the chakra every new shinobi knew but first I required to separate it in the yin and yang and channel one of those every time I was about to strike my enemy, of course it sounded simple but in reality it wasn't just trying to think in a way how to separate my chakra was hard enough.

So I decided to remain idle and alone with my thoughts for another while cleaning my mind from all the hard work I did before, though it didn't last the moment I remember about my problem with money.

It concerned me but there was a way to make quick and easy money, it was one of my fist ideas back in my academy days but I removed it from my list since it was impossible for me since I didn't have the resources or means to actually do it.

But now?

I did have the means to make it a reality.

However I was going to start with the easiest and basics, later it would move to the strong and good stuff.

"By the way Shizune do you know about botany?" I asked her since she was a medic-nin and poison user and as one she required knowledge about plants and perhaps insects, I was sure she would have the answer to my question.

"Of course."

"Then you recognize this plant?" With the first question answered I pulled out a piece of paper and my pen so I could begin sketching the plant that would satisfy my greed for money.

I wasn't exactly an artist like Sai, but I was confident enough that I could get all the important parts clear enough for her to recognize the plant sketched on the paper.

Shizune grabbed the paper and took her time analysing my sketch, it wasn't as fast as I would have liked but I wasn't going to complain after all it might had been years since she read the book or saw that plant.

"Yes, but not the name sadly."She handed me the sketch with an apologetic expression.

But I wasn't sad at all, is more I was very but very overjoyed at hearing that.

So overjoyed that if I didn't have any form of self control or emotional conditioning I would have started to jump out of happines.

I was going to get filthy rich by start a line of drug production.

And I wasn't doing any harm since I would be giving relief to many depressed shinobi both retired and active, for an affordable price.

And I had even though in the future to open rehabilitation center which accepted donations and charged a monthly fee for the poor patients.

"Well that's good enough for me, so?" But I was going to start with the least addictive and accessible drugs, which was commonly known as marijuana. Very easy to produce, though I wasn't the one who was going to produce them but hire people to do it.

"From what I can remember it can produce hallucinations but that's relative, and it has some medical properties to work as anesthesia ."

"Where can I find some?" That also was quite important if I didn't have a solid line of supply I wouldn't be able to have an stable market and income.

But if my memory serves me right people actually planted them in their garden and had them in pots.

"Everywhere actually, is pretty resistant plant but it might have some variations while growing in the wild and maybe it had lost all of its properties." Shizune giving to freely the information that would ruin lives of so many for the sake of money, such innocence was a bliss to me.

"Thank you."

I might start gathering them by myself or hire a team to help me, but I also had Haku to do so instead of me, it was a plus that she had knowledge of herb gathering. Though the transportation would become a problem specially to keep them fresh and healthy.

But those were problems for the future, first I required to make preparations.

"By the way why so suddenly interested?"

"Meh, my imouto best friend is quite interested in botany so I decided to help her with her collection." I didn't really know that HInata had a hobby for botany but she gathered herbs to make medicinal salve so the excuse came up thanks to that fact.

Also it would put me in good terms with her, a tough guy in the exterior but kind on the inside.

"That's very nice from you." A very gentle smile formed on her lips decorating her face, it was nice to receive those kind of gestures once in awhile from others besides Naruto.

"Shizune!" Well the old hag had to ruin the moment we were sharing.

"He he…" Not like I really care, after all I needed to make more plans regarding my new source of income and how to monopolize the market in a relative safe manner and without arising suspicious or problems for the product.

Money the real ruler of the world and tyrant.

The shinobi world was already fucked up place, there wouldn't be any difference to make it a little more fucked…

And reap some benefits from it.

* * *

 _ **Omake:The 'whiskers'**_

Jiraiya was a good guy, perhaps a self proclaimed super-pervert and detested by women(masochist) across the nations but a good guy nevertheless.

So as a good guy it was his duty to occasionally check on his beloved student, of course in secret using a secret room he created in the apartment.

He was super-pervert after all, but do not misunderstand he was not a lolicon, he was just preparing the ground so when she reaches the correct age he would have a good place with a good view and hopefully of her female friends who would also become beauties.

And indeed the room used to have a good view but sadly it had been blocked by a small portrait, however behind the walls one could hear everything very clear.

Again do not misunderstand, the moment she became his student he made an other to never ever think about laying a hand on her just like he bowed to never touch his last student wife.

But nobody ever said about the occasional and moderate peeping for the sake of literature appreciation.

Jiraiya had been there a while testing the room again and finally found it very good for later use, so it was time to leave before Naruto arrived or leaving the apartment and the secret room might get a little more complicated.

Sadly, he heard the door opening and closing meaning the arrival happened earlier than expected ruining his already prepared escape plan: thankfully he had prepared a plan B in advance.

However he heard a cute giggling one that he heard many times at the hot springs when girls suddenly felt like being a little too friendly with their friends. Obviously only a girl would do that particular sound, in other words Naruto was out there

Jiraiya was skeptical at first, but then he didn't really mind since kids hitting puberty would become curios about their bodies though she was still a bit young for thinking in that way; however it was way to suspicious for Naruto to suddenly give such coquettish and feminine giggle.

With some hesitation he carefully placed his ear right next to the wall to get a better position to hear what exactly was unfolding under his nose, in his mind he wasn't being a pervert but a very concerned teacher.

He didn't need to put much effort on his hearing…

Since Naruto didn't try to keep it quiet.

"Onii- _chaaan_!"

Only that word froze him on the spot, Naruto just MOANED OUT LOUD that particular word.

If it was another little girl then he would totally bring out his notebook and start taking a few notes, it was good material since it had sensuality, passion and taboo relationship perfect for his next masterpiece. Of course he would alter the ages.

But the little girl was Naruto, **HER STUDENT!**

 **AND HIS GODDAMN GODDAUGHTER AT THAT!**

He was very conflicted about the matter since she was a little girl, if she was couple of year older then it would be easier for him to make the pervy decision but still with mixed feelings.

"You are so cute, _I must eat you up..._ " If the first voice froze him then the second was a complete new feeling of shocking discovery, as if it was a horrible heart attack. Even more what the tone and the newcomer just said since it was practically impossible for him to do not understand those particular lines.

Kichiro Hasegawa that lolicon bastard!

All information he gathered about him was a hoax!

That senile old man!

"Nii dame!" Jiraiya was between ripping his hair or vomit blood, Minato's innocent daughter was in the process of being sullied while he could do absolutely nothing.

He was so close, so close to destroy the thin wall and go right there to beat the living shit of that bastard, yet he was also aware of one single thing. The moment he destroyed the wall he would reveal his secret room and also that he had been hiding right under their noses; no matter what everything would go on that bastard favor.

And Naruto would hate him forever.

His long hair was being plucked like plucking a chicken when he heard the sound of furniture moving again, especially the springs which were stupidly loud.

Then it stopped.

"You knew this would happen." He definitely didn't know that would happen in a million years, but he knew that in less than a day one corpse would be throw to the river. But he didn't know what to say in the afterlife to Minato and Kushina, and that alone scared him.

"Onii-chan…be gentle..." Jiraiya choked with his own saliva, the worst was about to begin. And he was at the first row to witness one of the most important moment of a human, yet it was too soon.

Way too soon.

"Trust your body to your Onii-chan."

Bastard!

Bastard!

 **BASTAAAAAAAAAARD!**

"Ngghh! It feels weird."

The worst finally entered, a girl became a woman.

"But in the good way, doesn't it?"

Silence.

Then the sofa started to move wildly.

 _"Kimochiiiii"_

The sound was drilling knives to both ears and heart.

"Oh oh! Iku- ** _ikuuuu!"_**

No matter how wrong and how much hate he was currently feeling, it was very erotic scene to let it go to waste.

With the ultimate pain from his heart he was going to record it or history.

At least people would find the joy in his suffering, a necessary sacrifice for the future success.

And Hiruzen needed to know.

And he needed to leave Konoha with Naruto as soon as possible, so he could easily kill that lolicon scum.

They might have exchanged ideas and had a good relationship as writers but he crossed the taboo line, and for that crime he deserved the worst death possible ever designed in history.

"RASENGAN!"

But literally everything came crashing down on him, the wall, plans, notes, and future. And everything became black.

"You really reached that low."

The ones to detro the wall and discovered the not so secret room was of course Kichiro along with Naruto who just finished dispelling her shadow clone who helped her to form the destructive rasengan.

"Kichiro-baka! It was too embarrassing to...to say that! I want to die!" A fully clothed blonde girl had a face read as a tomato.

"It was the only way." It really wasn't the only way to solve the problem, he had long ago discovered the secret room at the living room and tactfully placed his strings so if the room was used he would know by the disconnected strings.

So he only needed to destroy the wall and the hermit would come out like the rat he was.

Of course it wouldn't be as fun as teasing the innocent girl and messing with the very imaginative mind of a super-pervert. Though he should be careful with him from that day onwards.

"Bakabakabaka!

Of course Naruto didn't care anything at all and proceeded to punch him with both arms while screaming for quite a long time.

Kichiro just laughed.

Naruto didn't get tired but got bored instead after several minutes hitting without the intent of harm the person, after all she couldn't bring herself to actually hurt him.

"But I don't mind doing it again."

So what they were doing in order to reveal the filthy hideout of the pervert?

Kichiro was simply tickling her whisker marks, surprisingly they were very but very sensitive.

* * *

 **AN; AND CUT!**

 **Hello again! This time the chapter came faster along with the promised extra.**

 **Actually this was inspired from Konosuba, the hot springs scene, good idea to catch a pervert red handed if you ask me.**

 **One interesting thing or not really that interesting, but pretty much in these stories people don't mention the sexuality at all, I don't mean lack of sex scenes or kinky scenes but what I'am referring is that pretty much they are writing kids who just hit puberty and don't mention the hormones problems that kids face which pretty much destroy realism and logic, we now how those days were specially how stupid and crazy we were the moment we saw a girl in lingerie in a magazine.**

 **Also guys don't do drugs no matter what, but start a business with them then it is an entirely different matter after all many of those rich guys are drug dealers. Well in my country is like that don't know in yours XD.**

 **PD: And sorry if you find some parts lacking, I swear when I pass to edit later will be patched since right now no more words are coming out.**

 **Ja ne!**


	35. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: Kishimoto you may have Naruto's rights but I have the Human's rights who are better than yours!**

* * *

 **AN: This was supposed to be finished like a week earlier but my Space Marines arrived and I dedicated all my free time in assembling them and painting them, they look so badass, hope you understand.**

* * *

Perhaps things happen, perhaps they don't.

Either way one needed to be open minded to adapt to every possible situation that might happen.

And well it had been within my expectations for another team of sound nin be dispatched to spy us since the last one Jun wiped them out. It was early in the morning and for security measures I accompanied her with the patrol since I was sure the next team would be stronger, and so it was.

Jun reported it was a team of four and at most all they were chunins, but the second that possessed a jounin level shinobi: it was quite a hassle to deal with him but the two of us almost wiped out the second team.

Not exactly an epic fight spamming jutsu after jutsu or jumping around, it was very quick since Jun distracted them long enough for me to form the deathly web all around us and one by one the sound nin began to fall with missing limbs.

Planning was essential and a good plan would give great results.

And one of them was to capture one of them alive, the jounin wasn't stupid enough like the chunins who practically threw himself at us.

We tied him up and totally messed up his chakra network with seals.

However for some reason people always tended to act tough or show some degree of loyalty, quite stupid course of action in my opinion. Save yourself from suffering and maybe agonizing torture and start spewing everything so at least your captors would give you a quick death.

So in other words our captive had been putting up a stubborn act against us, it was very annoying.

Not even the many slaps I gave helped in the slightest to stop his tough act, and I had hit him so many times that both cheeks were already red and swollen but as a supposed loyal fanatic of Orochimaru he kept resisting.

Just like I demanded for answers.

"Who else is coming?"

Yet he had the guts to actually spit at me, but it didn't reach my face, not even close since I was standing up while he was on the ground. Though it did land on my near my foot, which I gladly used to deliver proper retribution for daring to acct against me.

"Damn you!"

I shut him up with a well delivered kick under his ribcage, right on the diaphragm leaving him out of air, he was truly suffering for somebody who didn't give two shit about his life. It was very surprising and commendable the level of charisma Orochimaru possessed.

"Speak." I could improve my abilities and charisma with the course of time but at the moment I still insisted answer with that idiot.

"Orochimaru-sama will…" My foot on his swollen face stopped from spewing more bullshit, and again and again.

I probably broke a few teeth on him but that wasn't something to be concerned.

"Burn his legs." I had enough of idiocy, my patience grew thin and I wanted answers immediately. Good grief that Jun was accustomed to administer torture to prisoners unlike me who at most could beat up people but never use inhuman acts against another.

I simply turned my gaze to another direction, that action was enough signal for Jun to proceed with her assigned job.

He didn't say anything, probably because he stupidly believed that I was lying.

Moments later my stupid prisoner screamed in agonizing pain while the temperature around use increased, and who could forget the unique smell of the flesh?

If it wasn't the fact that it was human flesh my stomach might have felt tempted to have a taste of a recently cooked meal, but since it wasn't the case I was feeling rather disgusting at the idea of cannibalism.

The unfortunate one was crying openly, and with a quick glance I could tell how severe those burns were and maybe Jun crippled him for life.

So ruthless, yet effective.

I like it.

"Willing to speak?" In true face of danger anybody would betray everything to save their pathetic lives, and my captive was hanging in the line thread between survival and idiocy.

"I...I don't know…" But his very pained response between his sobs told me enough that he needed even more motivation to comply with my demands, besides he still have another pair of healthy limbs which Jun could easily burn.

"His hands." My reply was direct and didn't give him time to continue with his stupid blablery, and it had an immediate effect on him since his eyes were quickly filled with utter fear.

"Wait! Orochimaru-sama bodyguards!" He cried out squirming like a worm in hopes to get away from Jun, it was good that he quickly confessed because Jun could actually get into real interrogation methods and I wasn't in the mood to tolerate such sight. "They are coming!"

But moving on with his message, I didn't like the sound of it. Specially analysing the situation pointing that the Ambulance responsible for the area had been killed or captured by them.

The Sound four were powerful ninjas and I had many doubts about facing them all of them in all out fight. If it was only one then it wouldn't worry me that much, but since it was the four of them then the odds weren't exactly very nice.

"Continue."

Letting him talk while I cooked a plan in a way how to avoid conflict or at least run away as fast as possible, though with Naruto and Team 8 the speed would have many inconveniences. And without a doubt they couldn't participate, they might be skilled but were fresh ninjas out of the academy and didn't had any real combat experience most likely they would become hostages.

"If we...if we don't report back they will immediately come here." Perhaps it wasn't his intention or perhaps it was but that last sentence was more like a threat to me, of course I didn't like it.

However we had already tormented him long enough so I let it slide.

"Your mission." My eyes stayed firm on him searching for any sign on his face that pointed fabricated lie, when a person lie the muscles form the face involuntary move.

"We are...used to be a recon team to learn everything about your group." For having his legs burned not long ago he could speak very fluently which was surprising to be honest, he had a decent pain tolerance maybe at the same level than mine.

Yet I couldn't care less the obvious words from a dead man.

"So it doesn't matter, they will come with information or not, Jun do me the favor." I never planned to let him live the moment we captured him, and the interrogation wasn't truly a interrogation since everything that he just mentioned was within my range of expectations.

I wasn't going to stay and watch how Jun disposed of him, I had better things to take care of like keep forming the plan to engage the enemy.

"Wait please!" Like a Root agent would ever hear what the enemy have say.

Short after she arrived next to me with the same blank expression behind her goggles, most probable waiting for the next plan to be told.

"How confident you feel to fight against four high B-rank ninjas?" It was a spark of curiosity when that terrible question came out from my mouth, of course I was aware that she was a jounin but a low one while the Sound four were medium jounin and maybe high jounins. She just couldn't fight against numbers much like me, Even worse if those number were quality too.

It was a bit uncomfortable to be stared with her eyes that had no emotion, more logical and cold calculative mind but honestly I would have liked if she showed some other emotions like Shin does once in awhile even Fuu and Torune show more emotions, truly it made me wonder if she was a salvaged failure.

"Zero chance of survival if I were to face them alone, ten percent with your help and sixty percent with the Kaguya." The harsh answer made me frown for two reasons, one because the odds were very unfavorable and two because she told me in other words that I was very weak to actually improve the odds to a considerable margin.

"And the genin squads?" My question had been answered already by myself, but I needed confirmation from a colder and harsher perspective. She held absolutely no emotional attachment to them, I was actually expecting her to say to use them as bait.

And that was being kind since every single one of them had political importance to the village, any other nameless ninja with no background would be used as cannon fodder or meat shields.

Though I would also do that given the chance.

"Useless in battle, will only be a burden. Best to send them away." Same emotionless tone along with a much as expected answer.

"True." Again I thought about the possibilities and I couldn't help but be tempted to use my trump card to get rid of them but it was quite costly, using it take out the trash would be truly a waste.

Besides I still have questionable favorable odds with Kimimaro around and maybe I could involve at least Shizune if not Tsunade to give a little hand.

Though I would need a lot of convincing and perhaps borrow some money to bribe her.

But first we needed to send Naruto and her friends to Konoha, relatively speaking they would be safe with Kurenai and the occasional patrol.

A lot of preparations were in order to increase our odds and suffer the less, and reap great benefits from our encounter.

"I give them an hour or two before their arrival, better get moving." I couldn't really give an estimate of how patient they could be and how far they were from us but relatively speaking they should be away a considerable distance to attract less attention.

"We have less than an hour." Yet Jun's sudden remark made my blood ran cold.

Before I could even say something in retaliation she threw a kunai at me but wasn't truly directed at me, the target was behind me.

It hit its target and a animalistic shriek came later yet it was more like insect like sound.

A spider with the size of my hand fell.

"Nani?!" I was shocked to see a spider impact the ground and yet still struggling to stay alive, only for moment laters to disappear with a small cloud of smoke.

It was clear indication that it was a summoned creature.

And I only knew one person to hold the spider contract.

"Fuck…"

We might don't even have half an hour.

* * *

"Don't expect us to help you."

That was Tsunade's response the moment the three of us entered the residence where she returned to her drinking habits as expected, we could clearly see that she had gulped a considerable amount of bottles and had a flushed face.

And I couldn't forget the pitiful sight of Shizune cleaning the mess.

"Is very easy to read a troubled face, perhaps before I couldn't but now you are very concerned about something and the only reason you would give a second visit should be about asking for our help." She didn't even give me a chance to actually ask her something,

"I shouldn't have expected something positive from you."

I was perfectly clear that it was a very long shot and a waste of time but I truly wanted to test my luck, just her presence would have been enough to scare those idiots away and have a safe travel. Heck, even Shizune alone could increase our odds!

"Exactly." Sadly Tsunade was a...cunt/bitch.

We couldn't waste a single second, specially that we needed to inform Kurenai about the situation as soon as possible and have her take all the genins back to Konoha. Perhaps we should have gone to her first but as stated before Tsunade aid would have turned things for the better in many ways, I really wanted to gamble my chances with her.

And what a bad gamble it ended up being.

"Forget it." I didn't wait for a reply, or anything from her. I just left through the door and I had all the intentions to slam it shut to help to vent my frustration and anger but decided not to, I was trained to deal with sudden surge of emotions and being angry was not going to bring any kind of benefit, actually it might affect me in a negative way.

 _'And fuck you.'_

I kept the last remark to myself.

"Kimimaro how confident do you feel?"

"My life is at stake but I can defeat them." I was glad to hear his confidence but he might be underestimating them, they had the cursed seal while he didn't and despite the fact that he could easily defeat them without breaking a sweat it was because he possessed the cursed seal as well but since he was with me, I couldn't help but become very doubtful about it.

"Don't push yourself too far." I was genuinely worried about him and his life, though I was sure that they wouldn't try to kill him mostly capture him and by no means I was going to allow Orochimaru to take him away.

To take away my biggest investment.

"Best place to fight them, where would that be, Jun?"

"The artificial lake, it will boost my kekkei genkai and conceal much better your strings and the Kaguya attacks." The quick response brought me a smile, it showed me how useful she was. Through all the mission she had been very helpful, specially with her detecting the spying spider and I was very tempted to talk with the old warhawk to include her in my formal team so Sai's spot could be filled with a perfect replacement.

But I still had my doubts with her.

"Sounds viable, I hope you studied my fighting style and how I worked with my current team." That was very important as well, if she were to get in my way then it would jeopardize everything and bring us defeat and probably death of all of us. It was a recommendation instead of an obligation, since we could discuss the fighting style employed for future engagements with the enemy to avoid problems but I didn;t like other styles besides my web of strings.

"I did, you can act without worries."

I changed my mind, I want her in my team now.

I only needed to work with her attitude and her monotony and she would fit perfectly with us.

However before I could get any more ideas, there was one last thing before our preparations. Kurenai needed to know about the oncoming threat and the need for Team 8 to leave as soon as possible.

It took longer than expected to inform everything to Kurenai and she was rather angry to put it simple, but said anger faded away the moment we told her our intentions to fight them alone which brought a feeling of worry for us since our enemies were strong in their own right, but at the end she didn't raise a single complain and took Team 8 as fast as possible.

Naruto was a bit difficult to convince to go with them, reason why it took us longer than expected. In other words she made me waste my precious time, and if I were to reveal the truth then she would become even more stubborn judging her attitude.

At the end her bad attitude showed the consequences of spoiling her a little too much over the years. I had decided to have a serious talk with her after we finished and arrived to Konoha.

Before she begrudgingly left with Team 8 she first asked to take with her a few scrolls which I accept without much thought since extra protection would be better and I wanted her to be as safe as possible, the others as well but they weren't that important in my list.

"Let's set everything up, we really don't have much time left."

Only then we rushed to the artificial lake and together we started to prepare the battlefield with traps and checkpoints to get as many advantages as possible to increase our chances, however they knew we were expecting them so they were coming prepared to deal with whatever we might have under our sleeve.

I was really worried how much time was left, or they were already watching over us waiting the moment our guard was lowered to deliver a deadly strike.

But any of us felt any killing intent, even if they were hiding it extremely well it would be impossible to conceal it the moment they were to start their attack, any attack always held some KI no matter what.

Since I was the one holding all the scroll on my backpack I was self tasked to use as many as I could, many of them were traps, physical and elemental ones. They could be manually detonated and automatically as well; though the manual detonation was a bit tricky since it involve the distance and other factors that we didn't have much control.

It felt like it passed a long time but maybe it was because we were moving too fast since the sun didn't move at all from its spot on the sky.

Obviously I didn't filled my backpack to the top with only scrolls but I did bring a considerable amount which I had been strategically placing around us with Jun help while Kimimaro stood alert at anything that could be out of place.

"Kai!" It was a solid arrangement which had been doing a good job until one scroll didn't activate the moment I used a bit of chakra, it was too odd for that to happen.

"What?" First was confusion since I didn't truly believe that I they would sell me a defective scroll, they were made by an expert and they had been tested before being put on sale. So it was highly unlikely; if not impossible, that it was a defective seal. Besides if it was defective it would have exploded on my face or swallowed me into the oblivion.

By bringing it closer it gave me a better view on the pattern of seal and other details as shape and quality of the ink, even with my analytical eye I just couldn't find anything out of place with that particular scroll, it was perfect.

I shouldn't have wasted time with the scroll but it did bring my curiosity out and the doubt was still lingering around, so I simply needed to understand what happened with it.

"Is there a problem?" Jun was quick to react at the sudden stop of mine, and came closer to check if everything was fine.

"This scroll is not right." I still held it close trying to figure it out.

"Give it to me." But after hearing her request there was no real reason to do not comply with her.

After handing it to her she brought it closer for a quick look, despite she was wearing goggles I was able to see her frown on her face. She definitely found the answer of my doubt, though what I didn't expect was the fact that she took a deep breath and started to release steam on the scroll.

It merely took seconds before the scroll exploded in a cloud of smoke.

" _HOTHOTHOTHOT!_ "

And totally unwanted blonde brat came out very fast, landing on the lake and submerging herself in water.

"NARUTO?!" I was the only one who was shocked to find out that Naruto had sneaked in, better say I was shocked at first but anger was quickly rising from the inside because she went too far.

I totally forgot about my surroundings and quickly walked to the lake and used my hand to bring out the spoiled girl out from the hiding spot, water wasn't a good place to be for long periods of time after all.

Even if it was a bit cold, it definitely wasn't even close to actually subside the flames of anger that were welling inside and increased per second. I had the right to yell, shout, scream but I suppressed it.

Of course Naruto was drenched, so her straight hair was down and all her clothes were damped, giving her extra weight making it difficult for me to keep her up with only one hand.

"Oh hey Oniichan...etoo…I'm just a clone so don't mind me." She even had the shamelessness to smile and lie straight to my face which was so tense because I was gritting my teeth and mentally cursing as well.

Everything made sense then, why she asked me for my backpack. It was only an excuse for her to transform into a scroll and hide while her clone took her place with Team 8, I felt the need to blame Kurenai for being irresponsible but the fault lied with me too.

Honestly for some reason I felt the need to laugh, but to hysterically laugh.

"Itai!"

Yet Jun wasn't in the mood to play around and smacked her head: hard.

It even made noise.

"She is real." And her tone which she was speaking betrayed her blank face, just like me she was also angry at the very but very unwanted surprise.

"Of all the times you could continue your jealous shenanigans it had to be now, fucking great." I felt a headache coming to me.

"I'm not jealous!" Her protest died down the moment our eyes connected, even if she was starting to feel regret over her decision it was too late to do something. "I was just worried."

Yup, she was acting possessive and Jun was dangerous according to her, who will without a doubt report to Danzo and give me even more problems to deal with later.

Every action had a reaction, and so the consequences.

Yet I had one already on my hands, it only took me a second to realize the incoming danger because as I said before every attack always released a degree of KI no matter what, it came from different directions but all of them had me as the target.

The world no longer existed, it was just me and my thoughts together trying to understand and process what should be done next. The will to survive was strong and the idea to jump away was obvious and tempting yet I couldn't forget the fact that Naruto was right in front of me and if I were to move then she would become the target.

She was the intended target, since she was the weakest it was the easiest enemy to deal with and it would create a big disarray between us. It was a very nerve wrecking moments for me as specially when Naruto froze to the KI that went directly to her, I was totally sure that she didn't experience a murderous aura before if those eyes filled with fear were any indication.

She wasn't going to move and if she were to move she would still be injured by the many projectiles coming at us.

There was no other option for me.

I only needed to believe.

My choice was to completely shield her not leaving any gap.

She was going to be safe while my own protection was only around the upper body, my limbs had little and might get injured in the endeavour but I would survive, at least that was what I was truly hoping.

Only after my choice the world around myself resumed to the normal flow of time.

It was almost instantly, I heard many clashing sounds behind yet any single projectile managed to reach me not even landing on the ground near me.

Only then I was able to breath in relief, my hopes were undoubtedly answered by Kimimaro ability, my trust on him reached a new level despite I already had him very high.

More KI went towards us and the clashing with the projectiles resumed as well. The amount released was truly remarkable.

But those were the least of my concerns, with her around fighting them was in fact impossible to accomplish, we couldn't win anymore. The only option for us to leave unscated was my trump card, my last resource which was supposed to be used against Orochimaru but it was being used for those trashes.

Naruto remained frozen between my arms and it couldn't continue like that, I couldn't fight and protect her at the same time. She needed to snap out of her trance, and the only way to do so was by channelings bit of my chakra to her network, of course I did it with a lot of concentration so my chakra could be felt like a current of warm water.

Like waking up from a nightmare, her arms soon went around me and her head buried on my chest. I understood how scared she was, after all she never experienced such KI and it was overwhelming.

If it was possible I would have stayed in that position with her comforting her but it was outright impossible believe that they would give any time at all, specially knowing that their ranged attacks were not working against Kimimaro and Jun.

My heart was beating faster with every second and it hard to concentrate or to calm down, my shinobi mask was the perfect relaxant and emotion control on me but with Naruto around using it was out of the question so my fighting powers also would be affected even more.

Fear was natural to me at realizing how little options I truly had.

Her fear did not subside but mine did with deep breaths which cleansed my troubled mind.

Leaning closer to her ear so I could whisper my plan which would save us.

"Naruto, find a red scroll from my backpack as soon as possible and activate it."

She didn't say anything but nodded, though she applied more strength on her arms making a little more difficult to get away.

Before I broke away from her, a little more of my chakra was given to keep her focused and strong, only then she truly released me and went to my backpack without wasting any second more.

No more battle sounds, meaning that they stopped their attack and would proceed with close combat. I didn't had time to set up my strings but I was glad that I was wearing one of my gloves.

I could work with that.

"What do you want? we might reach an agreement..." If it wasn't for my training I might had a far worse reaction than just become stupefied by the reality that was in front of me. Instead my eyes became wide while cold sweat formed and fell.

As stated before our enemies were the Sound four, but they weren't just them but accompanied by their own subordinates; though those subordinate weren't exactly humans.

We were totally surrounded by both Tayuya and Kidomaru summons.

The four of them had their cursed seal at level one if all those tattoos were any indication.

An army against three hapless shinobis.

It was funny to realise how hopeless was since the beginning, even more funny to watch the usually monotone face of Jun totally twist into one full of worry while Kimimaro only looked at me worried for my safety.

We clearly underestimated our enemy's ruthlessness , after all why in the first place I believed that they would fight us one on one or just them?

Nobody would risk their neck if there were far better alternatives.

I was glad that the sealed scrolls could be manually activated as well or there would have already been explosions around us signaling our end since they would have attacked without restraint.

For some reason they were waiting for something to happen or maybe my words made sense to them, why fight if they could solve the problem without breaking a sweat?

It was idiotic to believe that but I was grasping that possibility with all my hopes.

"Already giving up?" If my memory served me right the guy with gray hair that covered most of his face was called Sakon, but he wasn't the one who mocked us but Ukon whose head just popped up.

Such scene was disgusting even if there was no gore or popping sounds from the bones. It simply wasn't natural and anything that was out of the ordinary would cause unrest, and it was myself who believed that despite I watched Kimimaro's kekkei genkai on the daily basis.

"Numerical disadvantage and a burden with us, fighting will lead to death."

"Heh, that girl sure knows." One of the heads keep mocking us but the thought of a comeback was beyond stupid. All of them were easy to anger and a single word could detonate the bomb that kept us captive.

I would gladly give up my dignity for survival.

Why was Naruto taking so long?

"Enough chit chat! You pale boy come with us." Of course it had to be Tayuya who broke the thread of tension between us with that demand but it was obvious from the beginning that they mission was to capture KImimaro and bring him to Orochimaru.

If it was any other, or even a VIP I would have abandoned that person on the spot. But I would never hand him to others.

"No."

I wanted to give my answer yet he said it before me.

It did cause a commotion but mostly anger.

"This fucker!"

A two letter word was enough to trigger the bomb, throw at me a big pressure on my shoulders.

Tayuya brought her flute to her mouth.

The twins started their separation.

Kidomaru aimed with his bow wearing a wicked smile.

And the fat boy was preparing his fists.

And their small army closed the space between us while baring their hungry fangs at us.

We were going to be eaten alive, literally and figuratively speaking.

"Kai!"

But a simple word brought relief to me, the tight knot on my chest and the weight of the pressure was taken off. Better all of us felt happy at knowing that our salvation had just come, but it would have been even better if Naruto didn't take that long to the summoning scroll.

It created a big smoke screen which could have been perfect to cover our escape if it was only that but also would only have delayed the inevitable, by logic that wasn't our trump card but the summon himself.

The Sound Four did not remain idle and quickly and coordinated dissipated the smoke while their army charged with reckless abandon but all their waves had been repelled by three Toads who didn't lose any second to spit large amount of oil at them.

Of course oil by itself wasn't enough to stop them but only slightly delay their attacks but for that reason Jiraiya stepped in and took a deep breath.

"Gamayu Endan!(Toad Oil fireball!)"

And so with a relative small spark the entire forest became a living hell.

If Orochimaru was to personally come then Jiraiya would also step in so we could escape safely, but since Naruto unexpectedly got in the way it was a necessity for survival to call for his help. But realizing that they would have gone all out and with numbers I might had ended calling for his help anyways.

Anyways that was no longer my concern, I was glad that I would leave unscated and return to Konoha with a healthier Kimimaro and a good idea to start a powerful source of income.

It had been a profitable trip.

Yet I there was a loss in all of this, the toads didn't give us word in the matter and quickly swallowed us keeping us in their mouths.

And it was sticky, very sticky and whatever description you could come up with place that you totally wanted to avoid.

"Sorry to interrupt but this amazing casanova will be taking this guys with me!"

That was the last I heard before the toad closed his mouth.

 _'Fuck!'_

* * *

 _ **AN: Did you know that predators like lions, cheetahs, etc. give their all to hunt a tiny and weak prey?**_

 _ **Just here getting away from a common trope where protagonist has to fight every encounter, also the supposed fair one vs one fight because in reality nobody would risk their necks if there was a better option. And yes Naruto attitude was totally intentional, is fun to write it.**_

 _ **Also it seems that is still getting hate. Like seriously people? I don't really understand why the hate, though I have an idea which is that pretty much they only like Narutoxharem...meh. My story my rules.**_

 _ **Anyways at least somebody said that I should use tags, well I do have a reason and I think so already said it before(maybe not too lazy to search if I said it XD)**_

 _ **My reason is that if I were to use tags for the story like these ones DarkNaruto, Harem, Rape, Incest, Neglected,etc etc. I would feel like an attention whore, do I feel so inferior that I need to use tags so people will read my story, that my readers might be genre lappers?**_

 _ **Of course not. The only tag this need is SIOC for obvious reasons, so people will know that is an OC story and not Naruto story.**_

 _ **Though Yaoi/Yuri tags are highly necessary thankfully I hate both of them very much so the idea of even writing one makes like vomiting blood.**_

 _ **That's pretty much my opinion about tags.**_

 _ **And don't forget to to increase the MMR of this fic by checking the fav and follow boxes!**_

 _ **Ja ne!**_


	36. Chapter 37

_**Disclaimer: Don't make me say embarrassing things..baka...**_

* * *

It had been relative calm days after the mission, and everybody was pleased with the outcome since it had been reclassified from C to A for multiple enemies at jounin level, giving Team 8 and Naruto a good reputation for being genins fresh out of the academy and already completing an A rank mission, though they did nothing true to be spoken. Jun, Kimimaro and me were the only ones who fought against them.

Anyways they were present so they could take some credit.

So regarding about the mission last moments, Hiruzen had a long talk with Naruto alone; I didn't try to hear or ask about details but after it was over she had puffy red eyes. Only that was enough for me to make my own assumptions and conclusions.

Since he knew better than me in that particular area about the human psychology I didn't pursue the matter further, of course I didn't forget.

how much I cared and didn't want any kind of harm befall her, from her part she admitted her jealousy and fear that somebody might steal me away and leave her alone forever, it was funny to hear despite I already knew it long before.

But also felt bitter, for some reason which I couldn't understand.

And our daily lives resumed normally after that, a rather simple end for such complexity.

With enough rest I finally decided to write a letter to Haku, it had been a while and I needed an update about Wave situation but the main reason was that I had a task for her.

Since I didn't have much funds, and didn't plan to find and investor, the only option was to start small. The plan was to contact one of cigarettes producers and make a direct contract after showing how good weed could be and take the market. Of course it would take time but knowing from past experience a new drug always explodes on the market and everybody would want a taste of it, and after the initial boom some would leave while others would remain loyal consumers.

The contents were mostly about the description and an image that served as a reference, there was also the possibility that there would be non around there but since there was no time pressure for the moment the best option would be to give her the responsibility to find some and send it over, after that my work would start.

"Kimimaro take this to the postal office, please." After sealing it and writing the address I handed to my loyal follower who just finished cleaning the table. Also under the letter was a some money which would cover the expenses of the postal service.

"I shall do so." After crossing the door I was left alone alone at the apartment, Naruto was on the typical D-rank missions with her original team.

Sai remained the same which wasn't surprising.

But in Sasuke's case, he got a new look. More like new clothes, if bandages and bandaids could count as a style of dressing. It was clear that he followed my improved training regime with zealous devotion, but he could have easily afforded medical expenses with his clan fortune or use the insurance of a shinobi. Probably he was training his discipline and mental fortitude as well, thumbs up to show my approval and relative respect.

We had a spar in those days which I won with some annoyances, since his sharingan was activated he was able to see my strings rendering them useless for the surprise factor, but he couldn't keep up with the speed I could move them and despite he could close the distance between us, it was easy to just jump away. Compared to Naruto, I had little to no trouble to defeat him even if he went all out; it wasn't a derogatory statement but a fact.

Naruto unlimited chakra reserves allowing her to become a one man(woman) army.

If it was only possible to remain in a single train of thought, life would be easier.

I had other obligations to fulfill.

As a responsible grown young man I had the obligation of the house management in all departments, specially with proper administration of our money and income. And so at the table I had been working as an accountant after finishing the letter, pretty much I was doing some paperwork, really boring but necessary as well.

I truly wished that a calculator could be invented in a close future because addition and subtraction were taxing rather than difficult.

With time I finished doing all the necessary calculus leaving mentally exhausted, not even rubbing my temples helped me to recover some of my energy, reason why I asked Kimimaro to brew a cup of coffee instead of tea.

"Goddamit…" And so the results that we were going to be broke in matter of days, that if I were to keep buying Kimimaro's new medicine and that wasn't without taking account the living expenses of three of us, even with insurance, why a miserable bottle of pills had to be so ridiculously expensive?!

It was impossible for me to afford it, the only solution was to maintain the original recipe unless I loaned money from the bank. Of course I hated debts and the high interest that came with the loan.

Always investment, always spending money yet not getting anything in return.

I was feeling a bit depressed at knowing the economical state of my parents account.

I had doubts that I could continue with my plan with the current situation, but I was sure that the drugs would take over the world of addictions in an instant, putting me at the top of the market and getting a lot of income. But without a single cent for investment all that planning would be for naught, even Haku gathering would become meaningless.

Why everything had to be so difficult?

Why everything went cold out of sudden?

As if my back was just splashed with a bucket of ice cold water.

"Haven't you wondered how an insignificant piece of paper had become important to the lives of every human in existence?" Ignoring the fact of the sudden and unexpected appearance of Danzo at my apartment, his question was in fact worth of an extensive debate since it was true how paper became more valuable than people lives, besides I came from another world where money was everything and without it you were absolutely nobody to the society.

But returning to his arrival, I was glad that Kimimaro wasn't around since he would definitely felt conflicted or resentful, after all Danzo rejected him and throw him away before becoming my devoted follower.

"Is very strange for you to personally contact me, Danzo-sama." Always another agent came to contact me and those agents usually were between Fuu, Torune and Shin. So there had to be a good reason for him to personally come and talk to me.

"Perhaps it is, but not impossible." Without more words he took his seat in front of me giving a calm and stoic posture, but I only lowered my gaze in response. It was impossible for me to do not feel that threatening gaze coming from his lone eye.

"There is a mission for me?"

"Yes, you might be very interested just as I am." There were a wide variety of mission that could be assigned on me but most of them had been done to complete my training in both efficacy and efficiency in missions, since it was finally over I no longer had the need to constantly participate on missions specially with the value I had just for being alive.

However the wide selection narrowed quite considerable after mentioning our common interest, better said my own interests.

"It involves the Land of Snow?" It was very possible since I told him everything related to it and I also was interested in the technological advancements that they could offer but my interest was mostly focused on the minds behinds those inventions with their help and my ideas many an infinite of possibilities would be open to me.

Maybe he only wanted to convince the snow princess for an assisted rule, or other reasons.

But a firm shook of his head told me otherwise.

"No, at least not yet." Only to return, his words were enough to understand that at a later date I would finally go to snow country with or without princess I didn't care as long as I could contact the scientifics from there. Create as many connections as possible that would be beneficial in every aspect the moment I wanted to expand my future work to other places like the Iron country.

"But before that, I decided to accept your request." A sheet of paper was placed on the table with a picture of a girl attached to it. "She will be part of your team from now on." Only then it was possible for me to recognize that the girl in the picture was Jun, without her goggles she looked like a complete different person. Like seriously, I would rather see her without them, after all she had a nice face. Moving those thoughts aside, all the information of the document specified all of her abilities and properly ranked.

Just like she said, she was a B rank ninja.

"I'm thankful."

Only a bit grateful to him for accepting my request which was made days ago, honestly speaking I wasn't expecting a positive answer. So feeling a bit happy was unavoidable from my part yet it could be quickly suppressed, specially if he got my attention by hitting the table with his cane and then pointed at me with it.

KI was practically leaking.

"I hope you fix the mess you have done Kichiro, Hiruzen might let it slide but I will not. A jinchuriki cannot be emotionally unstable."

It was a direct hit to me, at the end I was correct in my assumptions regarding Jun's true mission. A jinchuuriki should be loyal to his or her respective village as a WHOLE and not be completely dependant or over attached with a single person in particular.

With everything that happened and all the time I spent with her teaching her, playing, caring, etc. I would say with utter confidence that she would be capable to ignore the village needs just for me.

Just like I wanted….

Maybe.

"Naruto isn't emotionally unstable, she just exaggerated her over-protective instincts." Perhaps a little too much that gave us trouble, but I knew that I was lying to myself with that excuse.

"I will not waste my time discussing with you, you know what you have done and you must take care of it, am I clear?"

"...Yes."

"Very well." From behind his robes he brought a file full of documents and placed it on the table, it was thick as a book. "Here is all the information you need to know about your next A-rank mission, I believe you are capable enough to complete both primary and secondary objectives. But the primary objective will not accept failure as an option."

I nodded.

"I understand."

Only then he stood up from his place made his way out not looking back.

"You understand better than anyone, don't you?"

The aura was gone with him and once again I was alone with my thoughts and his last line he said to me.

Perhaps I did understand things better than anyone.

But on my own perspective.

Moments later Kimimaro arrived, since there was nothing left to do around the apartment he used his free time for meditation.

He needed a hobby, gardening might be a good idea for his kind nature.

Returning to my business, the file was thick yet after opening it and checking its content I found out that all those papers were useless, only a waste of space.

The information had nothing to do with any kind of mission at all, some explained cooking recipes while others were advertisements.

After going through every single sheet there was absolutely nothing important.

There was a glimpse of anger in me but quickly faded away after checking the cover, which had many numbers arranged in order and all of them were pairs.

I had been taught about it and what it meant, it should have been obvious to me but it didn't cross my mind that they would make waste time ordering the whole thing. Though maybe Danzo took precautions with Naruto since he gave it to me directly on our home where at any moment and place she could pop up.

All the sheets arranged in vertical position and in order of course also checking that their numbers were pars and capital bold words.

That alone and having to check the numbers one by one was a tedious work that took me some time to organize and obtain a clear message from all that sea of words, but I found in quite a pickle, the table wasn't large enough for all the paper. With a bit of analytical eye I would need to move the furniture and keep organizing the code on the floor.

In a way I felt like a genius solving the most difficult puzzle in existence, but realizing that a Nara could have finished it in only minutes was a big hit on one's pride.

Since it no longer could be kept hidden from prying eyes it was for the best if nobody entered the apartment for at least half an hour, in that time I was confident enough that I would have finished reading everything.

So Kimimaro was tasked to keep Naruto away if she were to arrive, obviously it wouldn't be something rude but with some money he would take her to eat her favorite food. Though I shouldn't be generous with the money since I was facing a potential economical crisis, but I always expected the best with every mission since it had the potential to create new opportunities for me.

And the final message was written like a list.

"Takigakure..."

"Supported by two squads."

"1 jounin and 2 chunins each."

"One Month limit."

"Active Rebel Support."

"Kill the current Kage, SECONDARY."

"Obtain Hero Water, SECONDARY."

"Kill BOULDER agents, SECONDARY."

"Learn about the Jiongu, SECONDARY."

"Cripple Taki forces, SECONDARY."

"Obtain the 7 tails, PRIMARY."

"6 days to prepare."

"Report to HQ"

Most of the objective were truly shocking, especially the one killing Shibuki.

But he didn't have much relevance taking him out of the picture wouldn't bring any dire consequences or be difficult.

Though he very was close with my primary objective.

Well...fuck.

Only one month was given to befriend Fu, the jinchuuriki of the seven tails.

But a heartbroken Jinchuuriki who had nobody to comfort that grief, could be easily obtained in matter of days…

I'm sorry Shibuki, but you stand on my road to success.

Was I truly sorry?

But worry not, I will take good care of that green haired girl in your stead.

* * *

AN: Is a frustrating things for a writer to realize that most the chapter is horrible in all senses and almost everything and still don't feel satisfied with the result, so is better to leave it there and move on the next one or we might find ourselves in an endless cycle f writer's block which wouldn't do any good for us and for our beloved readers

BTW for any Overlord fans out there Volume 12 is already trasnlated and the Season 2 is coming! KYAAAAAA!


	37. Chapter 38

_**Disclaimer: Katte ni shite yo!**_

* * *

 **AN: I'm trying a new style I hope you like it.**

 **The reviews are very important after all, it helps me to improve as a writer.**

* * *

"I would gladly teach you Kichiro-san, but may I ask why the sudden interest?"

There was truly no other option.

"A recently curiosity of mine after reading a report about insect users outside of Konoha, they used bees, mosquitoes and even ants, it would be quite disadvantageous if I were to encounter such enemies since I do not have fire affinity."

Shino pondered for a moment thought with all the clothes on him not much could be said about what kind of face he was making.

"We aren't the only clan who created a symbiotic relationship with insects, and Iwagakure posses our rival clan within their ranks. But don't worry there are many ways to deal with them in both friendly and hostile manner."

"Honestly speaking I never expected from any of you to mention about killing insects since... you know."

"That's a reasonable assumption but as I said before there are clans and individuals who also have formed a symbiotic relationship."

He wasn't offended or at least he didn't seem like it but he was a person of rationality and logic, so a polite conversation could be engaged though I had my doubts if he could talk for long period of time if it wasn't anything related about insects.

But it was interesting to hear about other insect users besides them, those little creatures are deadly even if they weren't controlled by somebody since I witnessed time ago a shinobi meet the shinigami with the help of an entire colony of bullet ants, that scene was brutal.

"Okay, but I'm kinda more interested in the caleo...I forgot the family name."

"Is not a family name but an order Kichiro, Coleoptera is an order formed by variety of beetles."

"Right, but the thing is that I want to know as much as possible from them."

Shino crossed both arms and fell deep in thought.

Quite frankly, I had no idea if Fū had any sort of relationship with the insects and all the information I would be taught might be for naught but it was better be safe than sorry.

My thoughts came by the fact that Naruto possessed cute whisker marks which were sensitive if I may add.

"Very well, first we will learn about the habitat preferences…."

Since I wasn't paying attention until he spoke, I recently noticed that he had a miniature board and pictures around him, how did he get them so fast?

Shinobi things I guess.

It wasn't as boring as I expected, maybe it was that Shino knew how to explain and teach to keep his listeners interested about the subject.

Either way most of my doubts had been clarified thanks to him, if he had a request for me then I would gladly fulfill it with my best of abilities at later date.

"I'm hungry…"

Maybe he didn't know that or just forgot since he was so absorbed in his own explanations about beetles, but that didn't change the fact, Shino didn't offer anything to eat or drink despite being known as common courtesy to guests. If he did offer something to eat then I wouldn't have been feeling hungry and be tempted by the many foods stands or restaurants all over the streets.

There were many options around making it difficult for me to chose one, and my stomach screaming at me gave me even more pressure to decide as soon as possible.

But everything was settled with Naruto's favorite place, I wasn't talking about my Naruto of course.

"Oh welcome to Ichiraku's!"

Thought it would have been better if the cute daughter was receiving me rather than the father.

"Hello, what do you recommend to eat?"

"Well I personally recommend the Shio ramen, but Miso ramen is the people's favorite." Teuchi truly gave off the aura of a good guy, but I still would rather to talk to his cute daughter.

"I will take the first one but in junior size."

"Junior?"

Teuchi's face of confusion helped me to remember the fact that the word wasn't really into their vocabulary.

"A small portion, half of it, you know."

"Oh…"

As expected from a relative fast food stand, he didn't take more than a minute to prepare my ramen and serve it, since everything was already prepared and organized. From my perspective it looked like a small buffet.

"There you go"

"Thanks!"

The small bowl served in front of me was the responsible to satisfy my hunger thought I wasn't completely full, but I never planned to eat too much that might result bad for my health or make me puke if I were to overexert myself with any kind of physical activity.

"Onii-chan!"

"Naruto? Weren't you sparring with Kimimaro?"

It had already been predetermined that Kimimaro would fight against team 7 to analyse their teamwork and personal strengths and weakness, it was a recent agreement with Kakashi after he got healed by Tsunade, though she didn't cure his illness. She simply delayed and removed some of the symptoms.

"Ughhh! I really don't know how he's that good! I mean not even the three of us were able to land a hit!" Of course Naruto wouldn't take a defeat well, she loved victory over defeat and her pride wouldn't allow it.

"A great guy, isn't he?"

After all he was jounin ranked shinobi who would become a kage ranked shinobi.

"Hmph! Soon I will be able to kick his ass!" Her determination was firm as always.

"Wait, where is he?"

I was surprised for a moment when he wasn't around, after all I tasked him to accompany Naruto back if they were training together, honestly it was to put my mind at ease nothing more.

"Oh, he went to get more groceries."

Unless he had another task he wouldn't leave her side.

"Okay, so what do you want to order?"

"Oh, I'm not in the mood for ramen."

"Oh well this is a street filled with food related business so take your pick."

I was laughing on the inside after hearing her reply, to succeed in educating her about a proper diet, though her addiction to sweet could do a little work there and there.

"I want to use this!"

"Your coupon for a discount at the Akimichi restaurants?"

"Yep! I almost forgot about these, can you believe it?" So she was practically saying that she had forgotten about those coupons for over 3 years? Would they even still be valid for consumption?

"Well now the idea is very tempting, some protein after a good day of exercise." I didn't have the heart to crush that happy smile of hers.

"One more but to take away, please."

"Sure!"

Since I was a self-proclaimed good guy, buying one for my faithful servant would be the least I could do for him.

"So what are you doing here, Onii-chan?"

"Well I didn't feel like cooking today and I wanted to grab a bite before meeting with you but you found me first. By the way which list he is doing?"

"The number three."

"Yep we have time."

Groceries list were divided in numbers and number three was a long list and expensive as well.

Everything for a balanced diet.

Despite how painful it was to my greedy heart.

"Here is your order."

"Nice!"

After receiving the ramen from Teuchi I quickly paid the amount and left a small tip for him, after all I enjoyed the meal; it was the least I could do to express my satisfaction.

"Thanks for coming"

To witness the beauty of raw meat slowly changing color and becoming juicy as well, and who could forget about the smell it expelled with every passing second which our nostrils didn't fail to notice It only made our stomach roar in hunger demanding to be fed as soon as possible, it only became worse after pouring BBQ sauce on them.

"The wait is killing me."

Even more since it was me the one who was constantly moving them around the grill for a perfect cooked meal.

"Yeah, it smells amazing!"

"This seems ready."

It was very juicy looking and no signs of being raw seemed enough reason for to consider them ready to be eaten.

"Yup."

"Let's test it out then.."

Not giving her any room for a reply it quickly went to my mouth in an instant, law of the jungle.

"HEY!"

"Mhmm, it was almost ready."

I didn't even finish to chew the last and with my chopsticks another one fell prey.

"This also seems ready."

"And this one…"

"Not fair!"

With that said Naruto was no longer going to endure my tactics and immediately digged on the food and snatched the best looking one right from the grill's center. Our eye made contact and I noticed the glint of sweet victory in her as she quickly attempted to chew her reward but attempted was the key word.

"HOTHOTHOT!"

I might have been eating them directly but what she didn't know was that I had been carefully moving them outside the fire so it wouldn't be that hot the moment I decided to eat them.

That was deception at its finest.

Much to my surprise the discount coupons were still valid but even with the discount I still paid quite the sum of money, after all meat wasn't exactly cheap to being with. Also we ate like 3 rounds, so there was nothing to complain about.

Kimimaro found us first after the restaurant shenanigans, if it wasn't for the storage scrolls he would be carrying a lot of bags around.

With the family finally together we went to our usual spot at the park where Kimimaro ate his ramen with the utmost gratitude towards me, to our luck tupperware with properties to retain heat existed so the ramen didn't get cold or he would have to wait until we arrived at home.

The sun was still up in the sky, the weather was nice, the grass seemed soft at the touch.

And clouds were moving at the wind's whim.

Perfect environment to lay down right there to watch the clouds.

However having a cute imouto next to you made things even better.

And in a blink of an eye the mission date arrived.

* * *

 _ **AN: Hey guys, increase the mmr of this story by checking the fav and follow boxes. Also because it references the story better on Fanfiction. LUL!**_


	38. Chapter 39

**_Disclaimer: The rights might be there but at the same time NOT! Who knows?_**

 ** _Everything is relative after all._**

* * *

Forest.

Dirt.

Rocks.

And horses.

"I truly hate this."

With that said I allowed gravity do its job and fell directly on the tactically placed cushion behind me.

"Sempai?"

"Don't mind my rant Shin, is simply very boring to be traveling like this. If it wasn't for those bastards we would have already be halfway to Taki."

"I see…"

Of course shinobis like me would hate to travel by foot or by any kind of carriage animal, but using other method would be screaming our position away to any other third party that might be around those parts.

"Besides we have to worry about bandits lurking around, even if they pose no threat to us their interference might blow up our cover."

Traveling in such ineffective fashion created a cover which indicted a weak and vulnerable group of traveling civilians, of course it was intended but my wish was to don't be bothered by them at all.

"This method was your idea, you shouldn't complain."

"You are totally correct Jun, but if I don't complain then I would get bored quite easily. Hopefully we reach the port as soon as possible."

Just because I proposed the idea didn't mean that I was going to like it, I truly hated those Boulder guys and their ability to mend with the earth almost to the perfection. The speed of the horse was too slow for my liking, and with a repetitive scenery of trees; my boredom could only grow at alarming rate.

Including the boat time as well, it would take us a week to arrive to Taki.

"You should be alert for any suspicious movement."

"I'm no sensor, that's why we have a Yamanaka with us. I trust that she will do a very good job."

I was satisfied with my answer but in Jun's case, she frowned. Despite she was wearing her goggles it was very clear expression.

"In our last mission you had been very cautious and alert all the time, the same goes for all the missions reports, is rather odd to see you change so quickly."

A tired sigh.

"In all of those missions we were a small team of three at most, but now the full team is formed of nine and each member is suitable for certain areas which we aren't. I can relax a little thanks to them."

The whole group was formed by 3 squads of three members each, and with me as the leader. My squad was obviously Jun and Shin, and the rest were common agents, except for the Yamanaka.

She was practically our radar, in other words very important.

Though one thing I couldn't deny was the fact that most of them were older than me by a couple of years.

"Then you should train you yin and yang chakra."

"I have been training them but till this very moment I made no progress at all. Is simply getting frustrating the more I try, the separation concept seems easy but the practice isn't."

My time training in that particular area was less than a month but still no witnessing any progress was way too frustrating.

"Our medic-nin might help you."

"I asked for some advice but...he never took off his shinobi mask. It seems that he will keep it until the end of the mission."

"Sempai, why don't you ask help from the Yamanaka agent?"

Shin who remained in the background listening us finally spoke with his suggestion.

"Why her?"

"The Yamanaka clan jutsus use the yin chakra for a more effective soul transfer and mind reading as well."

He was smiling while speaking but I was more focused to the fact that the Yamanaka knew how to use both chakras.

"They actually use yin chakra?"

Shin was about to reply but Jun quickly interrupted him placing herself between us, again she was close.

"Yin is commonly known as the positive side, soul and mind are very delicate parts which should be treated with the utmost of care. Negative emotions might hinder the process and cause severe backlash to the user."

Her explanation was reasonable, the slightest mistake and they might end up dying.

"I feel like an idiot..."

Shin quickly patted my back as if I had done something bad but already forgiven.

"Cheer up Kichiro-sempai! Now that you know your training will definitely progress further!"

Shin's words didn't hide any hint of malice in them but his so-called enthusiasm or cheers had a heavy weight on my pride, and my unmatched knowledge about the world.

"Please call her."

To be unaware of something that simple.

My newly appointed instructor came and went straight to the point, the explanation was precise and very simple to understand. Of course I wasn't going to enter in detail about her explanation, hearing it once was enough for me to finally understand what I had been doing wrong the whole time.

"I see…Thank you for your guidance."

"Now try again and tell me how it feels."

To talk about the Yamanaka agent, everything seemed normal with her, typical straight blonde hair, slim figure, round face and blue eyes. Except that she had a large nose, but besides that she also wore the same set of armour of Fuu at least in the HQ since all of us were wearing civilians clothes for the mission.

"The flow is totally different, in a way is faint pleasure what I'm currently feeling."

"How long do you think you can keep it up?"

"Perhaps just a couple of minutes."

"Try transferring that chakra to me."

My temporary sensei extended her hand to me which I firmly grasped and did as I've been told. But the moment my hand reached, the nice sensation was just gone.

"It failed…"

I felt a bitter despite I achieved a small victory moments prior.

"I noticed, I believe it was because you tried to transfer the chakra in the exact way like you would with normal chakra. Both are vastly different."

"How so?"

"Is an harmonization between you and your body, any sudden change will crumble the progress."

"I haven't reached that state yet."

She was practically telling to reach inner peace, or maybe another kind of harmonization but still it might be too long before I could understand such level of harmonization between mind and body, but if Yamanaka clan could use the yin then it should be easy to accomplish.

There was also the harmonization with nature to reach sage mode, maybe they were related in some way?

"Try focusing that before continuing with your training."

"Is there any method?"

Any tip or advice was welcomed with open ears though.

"No, that is something absolutely on the personal level."

She shook her head before leaving.

"Ugh!"

More obstacles getting in my road to success.

At least I had something to do with so much free time, and do a rather good investment on myself. But that last part would take some time to figure it out since it is on the personal level then it was different for each person so asking for help would be pointless.

On my seat I stayed for while, not even the occasional bump from the road made me lose my focus on the topic.

But no matter how much my focus was or how hard I tried, I couldn't think in any way to create my own harmonization, my inner peace.

The only times I actually peace, joy or any kind of positive feeling was my time with Naruto and Kimimaro, if they were the answer then I would have to wait around a month before I could make progress.

Time to throw an internal fit.

"You have felt it too don't you?"

Though I didn't have much to sulk around since Jun appeared from nowhere just to whisper me warning.

"Is rather strange, isn't it?"

I was no sensor yet I was able to feel a spike of chakra relatively close to our current position, only powerful jutsus could achieve that power and release such thickness of chakra in the air.

"It might be BOULDERS agents."

It was like a quick shot of adrenaline to my system just thinking about a possibility on fight with them, I had the morbid curiosity of how they would ambush us on the road.

"There is also the possibility of our ANBU engaging in combat."

But it was only a morbid moment, Jun's words were correct as well. A chakra spike could mean many things, we shouldn't narrow the options with so little evidence.

"Is a possibility, BOULDER know how to hide very well after all, it would be almost impossible to find or detect them without a Byakugan."

Reason why I feared to go against them on any kind of land, their ambush always took one of us down no matter what unless we had that annoying Hyuuga searching the area.

"The movement is constant but the intention isn't here."

Jun words agreed with my thoughts as well, I also felt more chakra spikes but going away rather than getting closer.

"Command everyone to be alert, unless we reach the river we cannot lower our guard."

As expected she quickly went to the others without wasting a single second, and everything turned into a conversation of quick hand signals.

"This might be a stressful journey."

Involuntary a wry smile formed in me, I wanted something interesting to happen to avoid boredom but I also didn't ask for such troublesome matter.

Missing nins?

ANBU?

VOLT?

BOULDER?

As long as it didn't reached us, it was not going to be a problem to worry about.

Better said... if they die, THEY DIE.

It took two days, two full days to reach the port that should not be called a port at all.

It didn't matter if the boat was big, the waves and the current of a river should not be underestimated since it still made the boat waver left and right giving me seasickness for while since our medic was not going to waste supplies in such simple matters.

But after that annoyance was gone a quick rest was in order, specially after knowing that there were beds inside. Of course before I could do that I had assigned each one a task in the meantime and patrol duties shifts including myself.

The first to take the first watch was my reliable kohai.

Being a leader was a great feeling, specially the feeling of power that one had over others and tell them what to do.

But why giving me the leadership?

The most important role in a mission?

Of course I had been given the role many times before but over only my team and relative easy missions.

But a mission that involved a lot of political and military influence? Even the involvement of various forces?

And something that only added up to my current dilemma and stress was that all the plans and countermeasures had to be thought by myself, the Nara didn't give a single word of advice just stared.

Danzo was truly a remarkable and mysterious character.

"Shouldn't you be worried about MIST ambush?"

Next to my designated spot for a good rest was Jun staring at me with her blank expression that I had gotten used to, but she had a good question since we were on a wide river.

"Possibility had been taken but can be ignored for the lower chances of happening, they simply can't afford to be concerned about these matters, specially after the last incursions on them. You should know about it since you got your kekkei genkai after one of those missions."

No details there, it was self explanatory.

"You shouldn't talk such things, better said it should be literally impossible for you to speak a word about those matters."

I didn't need to look at her to tell that she was frowning at me.

"I know, but everything here is disposable."

"…"

"..."

Only when I thought again about what I had just said, it truly made me think again.

And Jun blank face had another meaning behind it, I simply knew it was not blank and expressionless but it was truly an open expression of shock, maybe I was wrong.

"Anyways, is time to prepare a good dinner!"

"We have food pills."

Her voice was dry.

"Ha! Like I would never eat that unless I was starving and desperate enough. Besides I've brought a lot of ingredients. Now if you excuse me I must find my Kohai to assist me in the cooking."

Disposable…

Shin wasn't disposable, neither I was.

It was a slip of my tongue, but what was said couldn't be taken back.

I could only be glad that Shin was on his patrol duty and didn't hear me,

"You shouldn't act all high and mighty just because you have some value to Danzo-sama, at the end you are only a tool like us for the betterment of Konoha."

Her sharp words finally showed her position regarding me, I truly ruined it.

"You are far more talkative than before June, I like this new version of you."

That could only mean that I wouldn't feel any guilt if something bad were to happen her in the mission.

After all she was only a tool.

* * *

 **AN: AND WELCOME TO THE BEETLE ARC!**

 **Things are getting faster but well since I saw so many reviews and finally reaching the 200 favs, it truly inspires you to continue and pump up more chapters! But yeah thanks guys!**

 **Now is time to reach the 300!**

 **Ja ne!**


	39. Chapter 40

_**Disclaimer: I praise the Kek to get the rights of Naruto through the meme power!**_

* * *

A relative nice looking building, with enough space to walk with comfort and move across rooms with ease, a nice and comfortable bed with private bathroom and other things to be considered a top INN for travelers.

That was the place were I decided to rest and also paid in advance for the coming days, I had some confidence in finishing the mission in less than a month.

"One entire day wasted, not a single piece of information about anything. And worst of all I looked like a complete idiot to the whole village."

But as always nothing was easy, everything had its own set of troubles.

"Besides Taki had strengthened their defenses to every place considered important, making it very difficult for any of us to infiltrate, there had been an increase of security even in the streets of each district."

Jun and Shin accompanied me inside the village the rest remained outside in relative safe locations, Jun became more like an advisor much to my surprise. She was a field shinobi but still could elaborate decent plans so I often talked with her and asked opinion and suggestion as well.

"Sempai, these are the reports."

"Let's see."

Of course those reports were encoded with few numbers and small pieces of paper, but after reading them they were quickly eliminated but rather for protocol reason it was out of my personal frustration.

"They couldn't even get in contact with the rebel forces. These results really drop the morale of one, we had such relative peaceful journey and karma decided to act this way."

"How should we proceed then?"

Jun's question quickly changed my train of thought to a more calm and collected one.

"I have a hunch of where the jinchuruki might be living, but I need to go alone. Also we need to contact the rebels as soon as possible, we don't know when their operation might start."

It was a completely baseless hunch which I was planning to follow, Fū might be living in the forest or she might be living in special and secrete location within the village, however I was placing my bets that her home was in the woods. It would be also beneficial if she was totally unaware about the approaching storm.

And Shibuki couldn't get involved any more, but with all the protection he currently had, it would result in heavy casualties and utter failure of the real purpose of the mission if we were to get rid of him.

"What about Boulder agents? For all what we know we might have been already discovered and monitored."

"I'm aware, maybe they are the reason we couldn't obtain any progress at all. We must dig them up and eliminate the root of the problem."

"I agree, but how are going to accomplish it?"

"I have a plan but we need everyone present for the best possible result."

Words weren't necessary, Shin was already gone.

In the meantime, I couldn't stay idle.

I returned with my meditation of the yin and yang chakra, I wanted to learn and use that fighting style as soon as possible. The stances and attacks were perfect for the manipulation of my strings in small scale, I had been analysing it and even practicing and it was proving satisfactory results, with the two combined I wouldn't need weapons anymore. Of course melee weaponry was optional since a shinobi could choose how to fight and what to specialize.

Anyways, Jun remained silent but keeping me company, perhaps she also did some meditation exercises.

A short moment of peace had always been welcomed.

* * *

The natural defense line of Takigakure was a perfect place to hide despite the regular patrols passed by, after all sensors were the only one who could actually find the enemy shinobi no matter what how perfect their disguise was.

Special shinobis which Taki lacked.

And so one youngster could move with relative ease between the trees and every time enemies approached a genjutsu would be enough.

But rather than jump from tree to tree he was running with feet on the ground, rather strange for a shinobi to do so.

But for other parties it was a good opportunity to finish things quicker than ever and proceed with their mission without possible interruptions.

Kichiro abruptly stopped right in the middle of everything, relatively far from the safety of the trees. Of course it had a clear reason of why such action, after all the gut sensation was never there without an actual reason.

It was true, from below small rifts in the earth formed.

Yet it didn't take its time like a building collapsing.

The moment the crack formed from the depths of earth they emerged with intentions to eradicate what was in front of them in the quickest and efficient way.

Either with weapons or bare handed.

"Shit! That was close!" Kichiro barely just barely in time was able to dodge a combined attack from the enemy, but part of his clothes were ripped and skin scratched but not deep enough to bleed.

Just as they appeared, they disappeared in the ground leaving no trace. Not a single crack or a pebble out of place.

It was very risky to openly confront Boulder agents on ground, they were like sharks and attacked as one.

With deep concentration and using his high earth affinity he was able to pinpoint the location at least for a second before losing them again in the vast terrain.

"Dammit!"

But the speed and agility they showed was another thing altogether, it didn't matter if you accurately predicted an attack if you were slower than the enemy then it was bound to hit you anyways.

It was very repetitive, between intervals of mere seconds they kept jumping at him ready to take him down.

However he remained on his feet dodging and even blocking the devastating strikes, yet the clothes were being slowly ripped apart, his protection was slowly deteriorating. If his protection was totally ripped apart then the following strike would give him a considerable injury.

However it was enough of games, with the little interaction he had with both agents he was able to deduce them and understand that they were at the same level if not slightly better or worse as him in terms of speed.

There was an interval of five seconds with each coordinated attack, it was too long and long enough for one to escape or even set up a trap yet it wasn't that simple.

Those two attacks weren't the only reason why part of his clothes and body armor were gone, earth spikes constantly intended to claim his life or severely injure his legs, everything depended on his footwork since jumping would only result on impalement.

All that work combined was going to take a toll on him, but he had trained for years to focus and concentration to transform the chakra and allow it to flow like there was no real pressure on him.

With three breaths he was ready to receive the next attack.

Not disappointing both agents emerged from the ground again yet Kichiro used their momentum against them and both hands created a circuit with the first one who appeared on his line of sight, one hand touched the upper area while the others managed to touch the legs and slammed him to the ground at the same time when he allowed the transformed chakra to flow within them.

Everything was happening in slow motion to his eyes.

But he had a perfect view on his target.

It was a shame that the voltage he could actually transform wasn't enough to kill a person, but it could cause damage on the target. If Thunder was his affinity than the boulder agent would have become roasted on the spot.

However by the way his enemy was screaming was enough how much pain he was enduring, it was a torture that was blinding his rational thinking. Perhaps if his enemy had better pain resistance then he could have escaped through the ground since he was literally touching it with all his body.

But Kichiro couldn't stay there electrocuting the poor bastard, his teammate probably had already buried himself to the ground and might return with a counter attack at any second.

His task was already completed, with that attack he destroyed the synchronization between them, that amount of damage was definitely going to affect his nervous system, any reaction from him would be delayed and fighting strength in general weakened.

Leaving him convulsing in the ground with a couple of jumps he prepared for a larger jump and land on the tree where his feet quickly used the chakra to root himself on the surface.

With the high ground he obtained a better view on his enemy and the battlefield.

Desite parts of his clothes and partial armor was destroyed, they never touched his belt where part of his equipment was stored, also were his porcelain mask was as well.

"Preparing for Shinobi mask."

The usual process that couldn't be interrupted at any cost reason why it was highly recommended to to the process before a mission. An interruption could bring psychological harm.

Fact known by the other organizations.

It was a very tempting dish served right in front of them, if they didn't take it then it would be considered idiotic reasoning of many.

But they weren't exactly one of the many.

"Protecting."

Reason why Jun and Shin remained close in the hiding, technically inside a tree they observed the development ready to intervene if things had a turn for the worse but phase 1 had been going flawlessly.

With Kichiro preparing his mask was enough indication for them to move.

"Ready."

"Ready."

"Ready."

"Mission acquired, proceeding with elimination."

It was a very monotonous indirect conversation between them to acknowledge existence.

Then three pair of eyes locked on one of the two boulder agents, anybody who was new at the shinobi career would have fainted for the true cold KI that was emanated. Those holes in the porcelain ask simply said too much without even making a sound.

"Target locked."

"Begin phase two."

The smaller from the group was Shin by mere glance, but that was by any means a disadvantage if said person knew how to fight. With his blade out of its sheath in silence he charged at both enemy agents yet the two of them didn't waited for him and dived on the ground, disappearing from everybody eyes again.

Yet the moment the switch had been flipped and mission acknowledged then everything absolutely everything would be focused on the mission until the very end.

It was relative but it was pitiable that the boulder agents were totally unaware of the plot which had been formed under their noses just in those seconds of preparation.

They never knew a thing until they attempted to strike Shin down, he was ready to receive the attack and give his own counter attack, his breaths rhythm was slow and calm while his eyes tried to cover everything possible within his range of sight, the back was impossible but that was why he had teammates who would watch his back for those sneaky bastards.

As it had been expected the attack came from the rear, yet it never landed.

Not even close.

"Target locked."

I swift slash from his blade was the only movement to baath his weapon in blood, there was nothing else to say but one single phrase.

"Target eliminated."

It was clear what fate awaited for the other agent, with numerical advantage and strength only delaying the inevitable.

Painting with red at end didn't fit the scenery.

* * *

There were moments known as the aftermath in which everything matched perfectly, weather, place, music and guilty pleasure.

Sadly I only had a cozy room with a bed of high quality.

With great success always came with a cost, if I might add.

"As expected, nothing can be perfect." Each team sent me a report about their own skirmish, and everything seemed fine until the last one.

"At least they managed to retrieve and incinerate the body." Jun remark wasn't exactly a comforting one, especially with her dry tone of hers. Which had been pretty common lately after arriving to Taki, at least the old monotone voice was in a way acceptable.

"I truly can't believe that we lost one, I invested a lot of time in that plan."

It had been more than five whole hours of hard thinking, the stress was truly getting me.

"According to the reports, it seemed that they only encountered high jounins reason why one managed to escape and killed one of us."

As always Jun save me time from searching and analyzing the reports one by one.

"The positive side is that he was only a common chunin, it would have been a tragedy if he was a jounin."

"..."

The stare of Jun behind her big goggles was truly a new thing altogether, and Shin seemed unfazed.

"Anyways! That might explain why all the other agents were chunins, perhaps it was an intended sacrifice for other plans. The idea itself worries me."

"More agents might come, and more powerful as well. We don't have enough strength and numbers to fight back."

And that was a big problem that would put the entire mission in jeopardy, with one casualty and a couple with minor injuries a possible full scale assault on our position would only mean full retreat.

It was simply impossible for me to accept that outcome, I had the obligation to meet up with Fu and create a remarkable bond with her, she as a jinchuuriki had a lot of political power and military as well. I would find a perfect purpose for her at later date.

"Senpai, don't forget that Taki forces had become frantic. They might kill civilians just to be sure."

"Yes I noticed. Is clear that they are aware of the coup d'etat, and they are relating our fight to them. "

Shin never failed to inform me of important news.

"And we can't get rid of them, is getting dangerous to move."

Jun with her quick analysis was able to tell me more about the situation without the need of me personally investigate the matter, even if I should do so for be safe I trusted them with the information specially my kohai.

"We must get them off our backs, so we must cripple them first."

"How?"

"Surprisingly I got an idea, a quick but effective one."

With only a couple of seconds was enough for me to decided who were the best fitted for the new job I was about to give.

"Call the Yamanaka agent, and our expert in explosives."

Jun wordlessly nodded and left the room through the door, of course she wouldn't be stupid enough to use the window since that was literally asking to be killed.

"What are you planning senpai?"

Shin was a curious type if he wasn't then he would not have a passion to appreciate art in all types, his favorite being artwork made by his brother Sai. But regarding his question I couldn't really tell him the plan since it was just a clear idea only with both agents present I would be able to draw a sketch and then fully give it a proper form.

"Heh, something that will totally blow up their future generation."

Then I couldn't help but laugh much to the confusion of Shin.

The morbid humor in that sentence.

Truly good thing that nobody would ever understand it.

Advantages and disadvantages of being an otherworldly person.

How...hilariously _cute_.

* * *

 _ **AN: This chap was a little longer but that wasn't the reason for a slightly relative delay, the real reason was because I had been more focused in the eliminations for Rusia 2018.**_

 _ **AND OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG!**_

 _ **MY COUNTRY IS GOING BACK TO THE WORLD CUP :'D :'D**_

 _ **AFTER 36 YEARS THEY ARE GOING BACK!**_

 _ **I traveled to the capital to witness the match and it was fucking amazing but the match itself was so nerve wrecking specially against Colombia, after the goal I screamed until I had no voice.**_

 _ **Also screamed of happiness after hearing that Chile was fucked out of the world cup, so many thanks Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay for raping those assholes.**_

 _ **Karma is a bitch isn't it? Champions of America?**_

 _ **I don't really have a problem against the people….but their Footbal team and their shitty rabble fanatics? Yeah I would gladly spit at them on the face.**_

 _ **It was a beautiful experience.**_


	40. Chapter 41

**Disclaimer: Santa didn't give me the rights of Naruto, so Kishimoto is still the owner.**

* * *

The three of us had been gathered in a circle inside our room, but only me was seated on the bed and the other two on the floor.

It was indirectly telling the hierarchy of our team.

"It is a bit troublesome." But moving that aside it was bitter feeling forming inside me, a bittersweet victory which I was able to obtain.

However it was complicated to show any facial expression, I had been maintaining the same neutral yet concerned face.

"You think?" Jun mood was more inclined to the negative side, more like displeasure than any other emotion.

"It was a relative success in my opinion."

"And we lost potential allies as well, now exists a possibility to work together just to get rid of us." Her sharp words were true and there was the lingering sensation on my face as if I had just been slapped.

It would be a lie that I wasn't annoyed with her even if it was just for a brief moment.

However I could only swallow it back, at the end my plan gave us adverse results, crippling Taki forces pissed the rebel forces a lot, and it was showed by a night attack on a squad. No casualties and all attackers perished but a chunin ended up with relative deep wounds on the chest and right leg.

"The Yamanaka agent had expressed her unrest, it had become more difficult for them to stay hidden.."

And both Taki forces had been actively searching for us.

"The other squad leaders reported the same concern." Shin finally spoke after reading the rest of the reports, he wasn't smiling anymore. He was troubled with the facts probably even more than me but who new what the other was currently thinking?

"Martial law had been implemented, the south districts are being thoroughly inspected."

"It hadn't been more than a day." In a way had been two days since my plan had been carried out perfectly, and the academy which hold the future generation of Taki shinobi were gone in an instant.

Our situation at end wasn't the most favourable one.

"Every action has a reaction." Jun was going philosophical on me.

"Everybody want us dead, Shibuki might be really pissed to go that far."

Either way her attitude didn't matter very much, I had other thoughts more important like how Shibuki had a weak will and would quickly succumb to demands if there were hostages truly pitiable guy but he had a deep love for his village, that was undeniable.

"Killing him sounds a bad idea for now."

For the moment I was speaking my thoughts out loud, feedback was always welcomed.

"Correct, with the chaotic state the village is another major incident would sent it into pure chaos."

"But might be possible to take advantage of the anarchy?"

"No, the Seven tails would definitely take notice and her involvement would be one hundred percent sure."

We had to avoid that at all costs.

"Anyways, Shin what did you find about our jinchuuriki?"

"You were correct senpai, she lives in isolation in a wood cottage but on the north forest."

"That's good to know."

"And you will be delighted to hear that the northern patrol had decreased drastically after the academy explosions."

"Good to hear! Jun inform everybody to move to the north."

With that said she acted as expected and walked away using the door.

We needed to leave by all the reasons mentioned above, despite walking away and never looking back was a reasonable course of action, we just couldn't do it anymore not because we were tied but the rest of our team was.

"Shin help me set up the seals."

Only a small distraction to reduce weight from their shoulders.

"Sure."

* * *

"And Boom."

And just like that; the excellent inn which I had been praising and where I had been sleeping for the past days was gone in a sea of flames.

And since I wanted to feel like the cool guy from the movies I wasn't looking at explosion just walking away.

It was only a rush of adrenaline though, besides I couldn't keep the silly act or I would be seen by any patrolling team that could be nearby.

There wasn't really much magic or dramatic feeling or badassery like it was shown in the movies or perhaps it would be better after dealing a killing blow to your enemy and you walk away while he or she is using the last breath to curse you.

Maybe I should try that.

"All of you go find a good place I will stay behind."

And I was alone in the forest.

Normally it wouldn't be a good idea to be left alone in enemy territory, better said it was retarded idea to begin with.

But I couldn't meet Fū with a group of masked people who looked to shady to actually give a good impression.

Besides I wanted her all for myself, both political and military way of course.

"IS SOMEBODY THERE?!"

I yelled at the top of my lungs to the forest, the hope was that she would come curious about who shouted.

But nobody came.

" Do you know something?"

For some reason I unconsciously spoke to a beetle that I had happened to find doing nothing on a tree.

The action alone deserve a slap on the face, it was simply dumb.

I wasn't diminishing the bug users but myself alone, they trained and understand everything about them so they could actually speak with them in a way. Either pheromones or just mutual understanding which did not require the use of words.

"Talking with bugs…"

My frustrations expressed by pinching the bridge of my nose, no other words were needed to describe my current attitude.

Also no words were needed to also express my sudden rush of adrenaline on my system after feeling one of my string snap not far away from my position.

So little time left little options to choose, and pray for the best outcome.

A little of concentration with my chakra and I allowed my body to fall and be submerged like it would do in water.

There were times I truly loved my affinity to earth.

Seconds later I felt the weight of people above me, they weren't heavy per session, since I was under the surface I was able to feel the ripples.

I didn't master it to the point that they were like my eyes, it was more like a sound to me. I could tell the direction but not the exact position, perhaps at later date I would master it to the point the earth would be my eyes as well.

"It came from here, I'm sure of it."

So it was for my stupid decision to yell out loud that they rushed to my position.

"Start searching for clues."

I many ripples form above me but then all of them stopped, they no longer were on the ground but on the trees.

Yet from a relative far position they returned with more intensity than before, it was like a crack on the surface.

In other words I had to leave as soon as possible, I had little confidence to defeat all of them in open combat after all.

But one vs one and with me having the surprise advantage, my confidence was absolute and unwavering. Of course is the enemy was a little stronger or weaker than me, I would never dare to mess with full fleshed jounins like Kakashi.

And much to my relief they did the terrible mistake to separate to cover more ground in hope to catch me, I knew despite not seeing it, the ripples from the surface came from many directions at once. I followed one of them, not worrying about their personal strength since Taki strenght overall was weaker than the average Konoha Shinobi and I was far better than the average Shinobi.

It was like a predator stalking a prey and the excitement in me was high, I truly wanted to attack and hunt that poor fellow but I had patience just like a professional assassin.

It was the waiting game, not for him to make a mistake but to truly confirm nobody was near our position, it didn't matter if the captain ordered to all squad to spread wide there could be a possibility of one hiding around.

It felt like an eternity yet I knew it wasn't, what was important was that my target was alone just like me.

It was my cue to proceed.

And to drag him down to the underworld where I had the complete advantage.

The headhunter technique was the perfect match, a must learn technique for all earth affinity users.

Little by little I got closer.

Stopping right under his feet.

And in less than a second everything was done, he was already under the surface caught completely by surprise.

Pointless struggle ensued, but at the very end only one thing mattered to me.

"Got you, now where is the Jinchuuriki of the Seven Tails?"

Silence was the answer accompanied with the eyes of defiance.

" Never expected to answer that easily."

Reason why I had expert for interrogation.

Back at the camp I was simply resting below one of the many trees, I found a comfortable position where I waited for my team to finish the interrogation procedures.

Normally subordinate s wouldn't have key information but Fū location wasn't exactly too important to keep secret and also he was part of the patrol team, he was responsible in knowing his perimeter like the back of his hand.

Two hours at most had passed before Jun arrived.

"The Jinchuuriki is located relatively close to our temporary camp, a couple of kilometers to the east."

"That's good to hear but it would be better if you moved to another position."

"I understand."

"By the way did insects seemed to gather in one point or just presence of them more frequently?"

"No."

"Any sighting of Boulder?"

"Neither."

There wasn't much to think about.

"Keep following the established protocol."

And so we took our separate ways.

My destination was near but I was alert for any change of my surroundings, and I couldn't just walk there like an esteemed guest.

The best way to travel at the moment was through the trees, giving the high ground and better perception.

But at the end nothing interesting happened in the whole trajectory, before I could put much thought I was already at the cottage.

Or at least a small wood building which needed some maintenance.

"Now….how should I introduce myself?"

* * *

 _ **AN: Too long right? I don't really have good excuses you know? Im honest.**_

 _ **No university could only mean free time and with free time mean that I could finally play games and do other shit I wanted without restrictions so I pretty much spend a lot of time n that to enjoy myself. But it had come to an end know all my month of lazyness and other things, SINCE i'M STARTING language lessons again but this time is chinese.**_

 _ **Lol honestly is because I got bored of waiting for my novels to be translated so I decided to learn chinese and read it, besides it would be very helpful to my career as well.**_

 _ **Anyways this is the beginning of the Beetle Arc and I hope you still enjoy the story, and by the looks you do enjoy it since I'm abut to hit the 300 marks so come guys give me a hand to reach those numbers!**_

 _ **Ja ne!**_


	41. Chapter 42

**Disclaimer: In Russia Naruto owns Kishimoto.**

* * *

Sadly I never introduced myself that day.

To begin with I had no topic or an actual reason to actually suddenly appear at her door and introduce myself and befriend and all what was required. Like I truly had absolutely no idea how to start, but I had confidence to continue a conversation to answer, just like I met with Naruto.

After all she started everything, while I only moved along.

Relative correct.

In other words I was like a stalker circling around the house while was thinking in ways in how to continue a conversation with her since I knew very little about her.

And so a few days passed in a blink of an eye.

Nothing of actual importance happened, of course I was diminishing the skirmish we had with Taki. Not an actual threat to us, we had everything in our favor beside our personal strength so those skirmishes were more like crushing an insignificant fly.

Though we were forced to relocate to another place, but in my personal opinion we were already a kill on sight target and constant relocation would tire us out eventually. It would be better to simply fortify the position and wait for them; however there was a protocol which I was going to follow besides following that course of action showed the biggest flaw on a shinobi which was overconfidence.

If I was tired of living then I should simply do that and become an arrogant antagonist.

Another thing I could do to show how tired of living was to never check my current surroundings not caring that there could be traps. One of the most important rules in the book totally ignored and broken.

It was so simple, minding my own business and suddenly I stepped on something that triggered a whole system that totally tied me up on the tree, I felt like a chicken ready to be processed on the meat grinder.

To make the matter worse to me was that somehow my equipment ended up doing more harm than good, it ended up helping the ropes to immobilize and cut my vision. Without my eyes I couldnñt see, without a clear view of my surroundings the first escape jutsu was impossible to perform.

Without my hands it was possible to perform a jutsu or grab a sharp object that could help me with my escape.

It was a moment when I truly regretted not learning the chakra scalpels as well.

But this was also a blow to my pride since I had been walking around the perimeter for days and never once noticed those traps. Nobody could ever learn about what transcurred or the shame would never cease its torture on my soul.

Time passed and my limbs felt sore and what I could say about my head who had been hanging or who knows how long upside down. All the blood on my brain was giving me a headache which was a deterrent to my concentration.

The academy didn't taught me how to escape with all of these conditions, what a scam.

Laugh or cry, either option was fine with me.

Or that was until my eyes meet with orange pupils without any form warning.

Quite startling experience.

"Hi there."

"Hi!"

That was her cheerful response as a smile adorned her face.

It wasn't exactly my perfect idea for an ideal introduction but it could still work out. One thing was for sure, her tanned skin and mint hair was truly unique, all those exotic colors matched perfectly on her.

Even with the states between us my sharp perception could tell that was an energetic person besides rather than be hostile she had a cheerful attitude. Very similar to Naruto when she was a kid, a younger kid to be exact since she still is a kid but going through puberty. So there was only one way for me to proceed.

"My name Kichiro Hasegawa a proud Konoha shinobi!"

"Nice to meet ya! I'm Fu, a kick ass kunoichi!"

"That's cool."

"I know right?"

Looking at her right smile couldnñt help but bring out some memories, the nostalgic feeling.

"Yeah, though is kinda weird."

"What do you mean?"

"Talking like this I mean, is really weird to talk when all the blood is going right on the head."

"Oh right!"

She was quick with her hands and pulled out a kuna before cutting all the string which were holding me in quick succession, for a kid around her age that was impressive in her own right.

Though I should have paid more attention to me rather than her and quickly use my hands.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry!"

"Just a scratch no worries, but why the traps?" Landing on my head could have been dangerous, specially on my spinal cord but I developed a toughbody, not at the same level of Naruto but enough to endure the fall damage.

Also my concentration was required to dive into the earth, without it I would be like any other.

"They get me food!"

"Oh that sounds like a good idea!" True to be speaking,the use of traps for hunting was a really good idea but I felt it was a little overkill unless her intended target were wild hogs.

"It is! I no longer need to hunt for it!"

Coincidentally as she exclaimed her enthusiam both of us heard a mechanism go off followed by a loud squeaking.

"See?! And just in time for lunch!"

Then she quickly ran in direction of the squeaking and since I didn't want to be left alone I quickly followed after her.

Once there Fu already had already delivered the killing blow on the bunny and was in the process of bleeding the corpse.

"It truly works like a charm! And the size of that bunny truly makes one mouth water."

"I want to cook it but I if I don't do this then it will taste very bad."

Fu was correct, every hunted prey had to go through a proper bleeding and skinning before it could be throw in to the pan. Done in the wrong and the whole meat would have a very disgusting taste that you might never eat it ever again.

"I have a recipe for that." An innocent suggestion from my part with double intention, one honest and the other not so honest of course.

"Really?! Then come!" I was a little surprised to see her so eager to take up my offer without even the slight hesitation.

Before leading me to her house, which wasn't that far, she grabbed a small sack where the bunny was kept for later cooking.

From outside I didn't really have much expectation from it, I was actually expecting to find some insect scattered around, specially spiders feasting on them with their extensive webs. In a way I felt pity for her to live in those conditions, but also glad since there was more reasons to use to lure her out from Taki.

I waited for her permission after she opened the door and when I passed the entrance I was left speechless to see that it had stair leading to the underground, which was very well illuminated.

But not electrical illumination or fire, but every light was a natural product either animal or plant. Ever light below there was natural, it was very beautiful to look at.

"This look bigger on the inside."

Not as big as my apartment but still enough room to walk and live comfortable.

"Of course it does! All the digging was a pain though."

"You built this?"

"Yup!"

"But the cottage outside…"

"You can call it an entrance of sorts. Besides down here there is no heat or cold!"

I was loss of words again by the green haired girl in front of me, the whole place looked like a work from professional,

"Amazing…so the kitchen?"

"Over there!" I went where she pointed, it was a simple and small kitchen. There was the table where I could prepare all the ingredients, a single shelf and the stove itself which was simple as well. However above there was the ventilation hood which seemed to fancy for the kitchen as whole, it felt out of place to be honest, a common chimney might have been better for that.

Fū in the time I was appreciating her kitchen she was already at the table working the rest of the bunny.

From that point onwards the two of us spent a good time cooking while laughing about any stupid thing we could came up, it was a nice experience.

Though playing with the innards of the bunny and laughing at the idiocy of our actions was messed up, if not a very but very fucked up sense of humor.

* * *

"Ahhhh that hit the spot, I didn't know that a bunny could be prepared in that way." Fu was patting her stomach while I was cleaning my mouth with my arms since there were no napkins around even if there were I probably wouldn't have used them.

"Is a personal recipe, the secret is on the pepper."

It wasn't a supper secret recipe but the thing was that Fu actually had little knowledge about cooking, marination, spices and sauces. She only used salt with some vegetables and that's it, very simple and primitive way of cooking.

It actually made me wonder if visited the village to get groceries at least or she had been living in the wild for who knows how long.

So with my self proclaimed skill in cooking I prepared an improvised stew which she loved to point that she discarded all table manners and licked the plate.

I didn't feel disgusted or annoyed but rather flattered and amused.

Naruto never reached that point though.

"Duly noted, so what were you doing around here?"

After so long she finally asked the question, but since a lot of time passed I had already prepared my own answer.

"I heard that somebody was living here so I was curious, though I was expecting a creepy old man living out here in the woods Not a green haired little girl."

"Hey! I am not little!" Immediate reaction as expected, a typical response from a hot headed little girl.

"I am taller than you...by one head."

Fū puffed her chest while her face became flushed, it gave the feeling to pinch her cheeks and to bully her even more. "Wait for me to grow and I will show who is the little one!"

But I really didn't want to cross the line with her specially since we only met hours ago, even if she had similarities with Naruto unlike her the two of us were only acquicitances not even day.

"We will see… anyways why do you live here?" I had many doubts about her isolation so far from Taki, I was actually expecting her to live in a nice place just like Naruto specially if she had good relations with Shibuki.

Besides she had told me before that the house was practically built by her own effort.

"Well…." For a moment she doubted, I could see the hesitation in her eyes but it was quickly as gone as it came. "Shibuki-nii told me that this would be for the best and I trust him!"

"Shibuki?" So Shibuki himself actually sent her to live alone? It was very odd, I could only made vague speculation about the situation.

"Yes! He is the best aniki I could ask for! Though lately he hasn't come to visit me." Her happy self became depressed just as the words left her, it was a brief moment but she didn't look like the Fū I meet time ago.

"Why?"

Of course I knew why he wasn't visiting her, but she couldn't know that, could she?

"Dunno maybe he is busy doing all that paperwork or something like that."

A Jinchuuriki has more strength than the average Shinobi, but chopsticks couldnñt really tell the strength of one since they were made out of wood and were thin so snapping a pair with one hand wasn't something to be amazed at, but the face that she had.

Upset.

Totally upset.

"Wait is he a some sort of administrative worker?"

She gave me a weird look, the one which had absolutely no idea what you just said, then she flashed another innocent smile.

"I have no idea what you just said! But he is a kage!"

If only anime sweat drops existed...

"He sounds cool...tell me more."

And just like that she became a happy little girl once again becoming an open book which I was happy to read as much as I could and hopefully bring it back home.

"Wow I thought the sun was still up."

"Yeah that's always a problem sometimes I lose the sense of time down here."

I could see the moon and the entire forest was in the absolute dark going the creepy image of a dangerous zone. The only light was from Fu's underground house but since it was underground it was barely visible.

"Anyways I will be on my way."

I only need to be very careful since I couldn't use any kind of light or I would be easily spotted and wanted to avoid any kind of conflict at all cost. Besides I didn't want to risk that Fū was of the curious nature and would follow me back to the camp.

"Till the next time!"

Fū stayed at the entrance waving her hand at me while I was leaving which was nice gesture, either way replied in kind and increased my pace. Though that proved to be a mistake, not far away I hit my head with a thick branch.

Moving in the dark was going to be a pain in the ass…

And it was.

Back at the camp I didn't find anybody which wasn't something to be concerned, they were obviously hiding in nearby trees.

But it didn't took much time before one landed in front of me, despite it was dark it was very easy for me to recognize Jun. Later came the Yamanaka agent who I had a relative brief talk about Fū.

"It was way too easy, never in my life I expected to be like that."

"Aren't you being fooled?"

I could only shook my head at the possibility.

"No, everything about her was absolutely sincere, I have told an entire description to our Yamanaka agent and she has agreed with me."

I was amazed at her ability and knowledge about human psychology, she was even better than Fu however I had some trust on him rather than so no matter how good she could be I would never allow her to touch my mind.

"That kind of attitude is not normal."

"Of course it isn't. But is very advantageous, better said it had simplified my job by a lot, but on the other objectives how is their progress?"

If things progressed as they looked then I could have Fū eating on my hand in less than a week, with the primary objective in good progress I also wanted to hear good news on the secondaries.

"Nothing."

I could feel a headache coming to me at any moment.

"This is truly troublesome."

Jun remained silent while I walked away, the only thing I could do was to design a new plan for them and that would require time and probably it would take me the entire night to design one and simulate all possible outcomes.

One thing was for sure I was going to be dead tired the following day that visiting Fū would be hard to accomplish.

Our temporary base was practically hollow trees if we were lucky, and the hollow tree belonged to me since I was the leader of the whole operation while the rest used trees or bushes, of course I asked the tree to be properly burnt in the inside before I could enter, after all I didn't want to find a spider with the size of my hand right next to me.

However it had the disadvantage of light source since I couldn't just start a bonfire inside a tree to begin with, either way a candle did relatively well. But it did a number on my eyes, working with such light wasn't recomendable at all, it was a harmful activity to one's sight.

Hours passed without noticing and yet my face remained glued to all the papers while the life of my candle started to dwindle signaling me to change for another.

However before I could do something about it somebody entered without even telling me, it was a signal that something of big importance just happened.

The blur that came inside became Jun who despite always showing a monotonous face, had a face filled with concern. Her eyes told me everything, and I wasn't amused, I could only assume a grim expression on me.

"What is it?"

"Shibuki has left the village."

The sudden rush of emotions was like being splashed with a bucket of cold water.

"What?! Since when?!"

"We do not know, only now we were able to discover his absence."

Without thinking it twice I destroyed the little table where I was working.

"Bastard!"

It was more like a reflex to give an outlet to my sudden rise of anger, my blood was boiling.

"Do you know his intentions?"

"Of course I do! He is going to involve Konoha by any means necessary, the asshole is willing to give up political power just to save the village."

"And with time on his favor…"

"He had already left the border, there is no point in chasing him. Either with lies or truth Konoha Shinobi are going to come."

If we were able hold against three enemies what would happen if another one was added to the mix?

The mission would go FUBAR.

And if the Konoha shinobi died then it would create a really big political mess.

I couldn't even predict if more factions would get involved.

"The Hokage is informed about the operation...and your involvement." Jun was quick to speak and revealed something which calmed me for a bit but when put deeper thought into it I became even more worried.

"...He is capable on sending team 7, or any of the rookie teams." My quick thinking lead to another important point."All of those teams are leaded by elite jounins."

She might have a blank expression but she was way too serious about our predicament.

"We aren't powerful enough to be at par with them."

We had three jounins with us but compared with an elite Jounin, like Asuma, Might Gai or Kakashi their efforts combined would be proven pointless. Even more that our intention were to drive them away meaning that we had to hold back while they didn't need to.

"With the average speed is possible for them to arrive in arrive im a couple of days,a week at worst."

"We can't rush this at all…besides Boulder retaliation still didn't happen."

I couldn't rush anything at all, it would be like throwing everything to the toilet and flush it. And with Boulder waiting for an opportunity to strike, it was an absolute mess.

"Can you slow them down?"

There were many tactics and the other squad had knowledge to delay enemy advance, even if it was only a day, it would be better than nothing.

"We can but that would leave us vulnerable to attacks."

Jun remark was disheartening but at the end was correct, with less members we would become weaker against other threats, or worse the ones who were sent would be exterminated.

Not only that but each member was specialized in a certain area which we later would lack if they weren't with us.

"Fuck…."

Why the world couldn't just follow the script which I had planned since the beginning?

* * *

 **AN: You probably noticed that the name Fu doesn't have the line above the u in various occasion while others do, the reason is that Gdocs no longer recommend that and I got tired on manually putting the line with every single (even if it was copy and paste) time so I simply decided to leave it be, ye I know that's lazy from my part.**

 **Thanks guys for helping me reach the 300 follows is really awesome and so I'm giving you an extra. Keep checking those boxes to increase my MMR!**

 **BTW**

 **This is cannon!**

* * *

 _ **OMAKE: Midnight meetings.**_

It was already pretty late but surprisingly Hinata had some energy left in her after all the activities and games she had with Naruto and her little sister Hanabi.

But her favorite part was when Kimimaro was teaching how to braid their hair with his clan hairstyles, it was no joke but some girls were actually jealous of Kimimaro beautiful and well kept hair. Is true that those matters are useless in the Shinobi world was but some people just want to enjoy life whatever the way they want.

Even with her short hair, KImimaro did his best and managed to finish a beautiful hairstyle for the the rest of the night.

Nevertheless was a fun experience.

It the serenity of the night she left her room for a small walk around the compounds, and maybe, only if possible, a quick snack from the kitchen accompanied with a glass of milk to sleep better.

However she didn't expect to find Kimimaro in the middle of the garden staring at the moon in a very relaxed manner, he looked as the most peaceful man on earth. She was very curious about the reason to be outside so late yet to go there required a lot of courage so she could be the one who initiated the talk.

Her heart was beating faster for every step she gave, the distance was closing yet he was getting nervous and more nervous, even her throat formed a knot which trapped her voice inside.

But she steeled herself and with deep breaths she was calm once again.

"Kimimaro-kun?"

He turned around and gave a kind smile to her causing her to feel a little embarrassed.

"Oh Hinata-san, I hope I haven't disturbed your rest."

His selfless words told aa lot about his character but Hinata didn't want him to feel guilty over nothing she was too kind to allow that to happen.

"N-no! You didn't disturb me...at all."

"I'm glad to hear that." He smiled again before looking to the sky again.

" What...what are you doing so late at night? You might catch a cold, again." She was genuinely worried about his health since time ago she saw him coughing, reason why she got all the medicines for him however she didn't want him to fall ill again not after he just recovered.

He shook his head.

"Thank you for your concern but I will be fine, as for why am I here?"

" Y-yes…"

"Well I'm just appreciating life Hinata-san."

That was an answer which she never imagined in her wildest thoughts, nothing hinted to that train of thought besides why would Kimimaro would be outside late at night appreciating life? She couldn't understand the reason.

"Appreciating life?"

Kimimaro stared at the moon for a moment feeling its light caressing his face while the wind played with his hair.

"Peace brings life while violence brings death, the serenity and peace of the night give us time to think and ponder about ourselves. But when the sun is up the peace is gone, we do not know what happens and we only want for the day to end so we can connect with our serenity and tranquility once again. With this I can see how happy I am to be alive."

"I...I didn't think like that."

For her that never crossed her mind, she never once thanked to be alive. She just lived every day as she normally would but he was there being thankful to live another day, to be driven to be thankful for another day of life.

Was she happy?

That question made her doubt about her own life, she had Hanabi, Neji, Naruto and her friends. Perhaps she had some difficult moments but she still liked how the world moved,

"Is normal to don't think about small things in life, you are young after all."

"Anooo...we…"

Hinata wanted to say something but he laughed, she understood that he was laughing at himself but she didn't know why he would just so suddenly laugh at himself like self mocking his own answer and philosophy.

"Of course I am young as well but Kichiro-sama helped me to understand life, without him I wouldn't be here talking with you." Kimimaro was a self proclaimed and very loyal servant, everybody knew that but how he ended up devoting his life to Kichiro was still unknown, yet he just revealed a little about his devotion.

Perhaps she would never know the entire story but at least she knew that Kimimaro faced a very but very horrible moment in his life that probably lead him to think about death.

That could explain why he was appreciating life, it could have been gone in just a second f it wasn't for a decision.

Yet she couldn't help but feel pity towards him, that was her nature. She wanted to help him as well.

There was silence between the two.

Hinata was in deep thought trying to digest what she just learned.

However her silence meant another thing for Kimimaro who believed it was the tiredness in her which made her silent for a while.

"You should return to your room Hinata-san, you need plenty of rest to face the events of tomorrow."

"Etooo..is fine...I...I...I want...want to…sta...eeehhhhh?!"

Her request was never spoken before her entire body was invaded by a heat wave that shook her to the core leaving, any fly could enter her mouth if she didn't close it.

"We can't have Naruto-sama friend getting sick, can we?"

There was something about Kimimaro which he was relatively unaware of, it was that he didn't have much shame about showing his body to the public, he could easily walk around the streets with only his pleated hakama pants. It was an habit developed by the constant use of his Kekkei Genkai since his bones would always destroy any clothes that he was wearing.

Despite it was very sweet from his part to give Hinata his coat to keep her warm, he didn't have anything else under him.

Yet Hinata could only stare with her pale eyes the upper body of Kimimaro in all its glory, what made it worse was that very kind smile of his.

 _"KYAAAAAA!"_

She just couldn't endure the heat and all the blood that was going to her head, and her world became black in an instant.

"Hinata-san?!"

Thankfully Kimimaro was quick to react and catch her before she fell flat on the floor, the only thing he could do was to take her to the medic ward since he was worried about her health, after all he didn't want Naruto's friend to fall ill.

It wasn't necessary to say but the following day Hinata didn't have any courage to look at him before running away with a face red as a tomato.

After all it was impossible for her to erase that particular memory, she might had lost her innocent and pure mind as well.

* * *

 **AN: To answer some question, YES andYES!**


	42. Chapter 43

**Disclaimer: Swiggity swooty, Kishimoto still is the owner. But i'm still going for that booty**!

* * *

The sun was still up, that I was sure of.

Being underground and keep track of time remained to be a difficult task without a watch.

Unlike cooking, that was easier and brought satisfaction to one's pride at hearing your consumer praises.

A plate filled with the famous brownies was placed on the table which Fū didn't hesitate to dig in and practically stuffed her mouth with them.

"This taste amazing!" Her praise came after swallowing everything of course but that was short since she stuffed her mouth again with them

"Thanks! Is my personal recipe. Anyways, can you continue? " I couldn't help but smile, Fū had opened up a lot in the past days, besides she loved to tell her experiences but I indirectly shifted her topics of conversation to Taki itself,any bit of information was useful.

She told me the secret passages which she used before and also how to avoid patrols, she explained me that they used to be very strict with her so of course she would like to avoid them.

What was more important she was talking about the tree, perhaps she didn't know but that tree had the Hero's water one of my secondary objectives.

I wanted to know more but she had a request.

"Only if you keep cooking those delicious….thingies!"

"Brownies?"

Which I would gladly comply, it was amazing how much one could accomplish with food.

"What you said!" It was amusing that she still couldn't ever the name but that didn't prevents her from keep asking for more after all I was already in the third batch of brownies.

Maybe it was time to stop, I didn't want her to get a toothache after all.

"Sure, no problem." Well before it was a problem since she didn't have an oven, which was a hassle since many of my favorites foods were cooked in an oven.

However with help and experimenting I managed to create an improvised oven made of rocks, mud and wood.

With my successful creation I was able to cook different plates which Fū absolutely loved, and as expected from any kid, she totally loved pizza with lots of cheese.

Another day was spent cooking for the Jinchuuriki of the seven tails, a full belly and happy heart.

Back at the camp I received more reading reports about Taki situation, the new information obtained from Fu was very helpful but that still wasn't enough for things to go smoothly as without risks.

But I was sure that we could create opportunities.

"So can you infiltrate again?"

"Is possible with this new information but if I can't predict how long we will be able to stay before be forced to leave." Jun's answer was good and bad at the same time, she was very well informed and aware about everybody capabilities.

The secondary objectives were looking grim, it made me wonder how Danzo believed that I was capable enough to finish every single objective in the list. Perhaps he wanted me to fail which would be perfect arguments against me.

Either way I had to play careful an plan my next step.

"Better than nothing, so any news about our missing kage?"

It had already been reported that he arrived to Konoha days ago so my anxiety grew every passing day which I didn't had any information about him.

"He is returning with along with a team." Jun only made my worries grew, taking her time with the answer wasn't like her as far as I could remember perhaps she taking a little revenge or maybe another reason which I simply didn't know

"Which team?"

"Team 7 and Team 9."

"Goddammit!"

It was over.

Absolutely over.

Hiruzen was perfectly aware of Taki situation and wouldn't dare to risk Naruto or the precious last Uchiha, there had to be a good reason to send them.

Danzo probably planned for this.

Maybe this was his intention all along and Hiruzen wanted to join in this fucked up situation.

Either way I was fucked.

I wanted to scream my frustrations but everything remained inside.

Taking deep breaths I could keep every emotion under control but that would never erase them, I could still feel my anger on my heart trying to break free.

"Tell everyone to get ready for an assault."

"Objective?"

"Taki's treasure, the Hero water."

"You know its location?"

"Yes, there are only two places where it can be hidden."

"You should be aware of their numbers, specially that the rebels are in a truce to annihilate us." Jun was correct however her voice didn't hint anything about her personal opinion, it showed her neutrality in the matter but I didn't care about anybody opinion at the moment

"That's the least of our concerns and call the Yamanaka."

She was an essential tool for my plan to increase its success rate.

Any little help was going to be absolutely necessary since I was practically walking to the death's door.

"I will."

I couldn't help but feel nervous about the oncoming night.

But one thing was for sure.

I was going to survive.

* * *

Taki's night had been restless in the last weeks, many Shinobi we're constantly patrolling the streets in search of clues and suspects. And routine became even more arduous after the academy incident, every Shinobi wanted to catch the culprits and give them proper retribution. That barbaric act had no forgiveness at all to point that death would be an act of mercy.

While many lost their young ones they still couldn't wait in agony and forget their duties. However despite they were devoted in their task contributing in the pursuit and protection of Taki they never knew about the culprits had already infiltrated the village using one of the secret passages.

From below they waited for the guards and for the surroundings to be alone, it would simply the task to silence everything.

With the Yamanaka's sensory abilities it was easy to determine the right moment to strike.

It was only matter of seconds but each agent selected a target and we're ready for the signal.

A small pebble hit the ground.

And that was the signal for fresh corpses meet the ground to familiarize with their eternal bed.

"Proceed with phase 1."

The operation finally started.

Everybody scattered all over the building while Kichiro remained behind so he could gather all the bodies in one place so it would decrease the chances of being discovered by another patrol which would come in matter of time.

However, the time pressure wasn't going to rush them to finish their task, after all placing explosive seals needed to be done right so the building wouldn't instantly collapse but to drag the chaos as long as possible.

Kichiro had planned for such plan since the beginning of his mission and had been trying to find mistakes and discover new possible scenarios, after all it was the most dangerous plan with the high mortality rate.

"Seals placed."

At hearing the confirmation he signaled to follow, as stated before they were tight on time and had to do proceed with the second phase as soon as possible or the plan might not work perfectly.

Just in time, the steps from the other patrol was closing in to their position. With the perfect timing it gave the precious second to immediately rearrange formation and awareness of their enemies.

However all of their targets had to be put down silently or everything would go to hell if anybody were to hear them before all the seals were set off.

"Squad 1 ready."

Kichiro was the only one who could hide underground thanks to his earth affinity while the rest had to find a dark spot or even use a genjutsu to fool the enemy, either way was relatively correct as long that they weren't expert with sharp senses.

Or a sensor.

Like before, Kichiro was able to feel the ripples of each step and the amount of ripples formed he could assume around four shinobis were above him however that was about to change.

Without any warning he immediately pulled down one of the unsuspecting shinobis underground within his domain where he could quickly dispose of his target.

The rest of the team was quick to become alert but before they could call for help each one of them had been quickly silenced with a covering their mouths as a kunai slitting their throats completely silencing their words to mere incomprensibles gurgles filled with warm blood and spit.

Kichiro on the other hand simply broke his target neck, and left him underground where nobody was able to hear his screams or could hope to find his body,

He returned to the surface without any stains to give his next order and to dispose of the bodies like he did with the others.

"Proceed with phase 2."

It was the turn of the Yamanaka agent to start with her work.

Without anything that could arise suspicious from afar Kichiro remained like a statue waiting for the yamanaka to finish her task and for the other squad to finish theirs as well. It had been repeated several time that the time was tight but they weren't delaying anything and it was within the acceptable parameters the time they were taking in completing their task so he simply finished his a little earlier than the rest.

He didn't need to wait too long.

"Seals placed." Reported the squad leader with his dull voice.

In the accorded time the other squad was able to do its job properly without raising alarms, it was only for the Yamanaka to finish hers and they could proceed with the next step.

However they were still far from the objective, everything was simply preparations for the actual assault, after all every little help was going to be used at its full extent and worth.

One could believe that luck was on their side since no more patrols were coming to check, but the reality was that it had been planned beforehand thanks with Fu new information about their patrols teams. Only two teams were dispatched for patrol duty for a couple of hours before other teams were sent to take their places in patrol duty.

Still no signal of either team would become suspicious after a certain amount of team and Taki superiors wouldn't necessarily wait the entire shift before checking on their missing teams.

However he could only wait once again.

Sadly things couldn't always work as one wanted.

Nobody was slacking, every single one including Kichiro were attentive of their surroundings, extra attention in dark places and holes where a person could fit. Even the Yamanaka couldn't stop being attentive just because she was busy with another task, she was extremely important to detect any possible enemy approach.

With every second passed he felt a growing feeling, one that usually was felt when something was definitely wrong.

But with the sudden release of KI it was enough to understand what was about to happen.

"Move!"

Despite he was wearing the Shinobi mask he deeply rooted the idea of his survival first before anything, it was completely unconscious. Reason why he was the first to flee the scene despite being the leader who should have given proper orders and wait for his team to act first then his turn.

Everybody escaped without a second thought, directly going to the roof and breaking through the widows.

Since he was already there he looked down and below him white masks were looking straight at him only for a second before submerging in the floor disappearing from sight.

Kichiro frowned behind his mask, there was no need for any more words or evidence to understand that those shinobis were part from Boulder, in other words it was time for their counter attack.

It was expected but still a setback on the primary plan and being forced to immediately change plans after quickly dealing with them, it wasn't overconfidence on his part or that was he truly believed despite constantly reminding himself that overconfidence was like poison, but that didn't discard that he had high expectations from his team and battle capabilities including his.

He planed and simulated many but many possibilities and outcomes of every scenarios he could think of in order to fight back efficiently against Boulder agents after they made their presence clear.

But one thing was in common in all those plans, Taki was going to indirectly help them against their mortal enemies.

It would be prematurely but all the seals had to be activated, Kichiro held the trigger in one while Squad 2 had the other.

He pulled out one a kunai with seal and channeled a bit of his chakra and it started to consume itself like a candle at a reasonable speed. With a fling of his wristle the kunai embed itself on one of the wooden structures of the building near other seals.

Only after looking his kunai reach the objective he silently gave orders to immediately move to another position, and so everyone moved with him.

An explosion immediately triggered every possible alarm within Taki, even the animals started to make noise. In matter of seconds the Yamanaka agent was able to feel multiple chakra signatures nearing their position and fast.

Kichiro merely tilted a head to one side and the jonin in charge of the second squad made the hand seal.

And like that another explosion was heard relatively far from their position, the intensity was different from the one that he just cause, everybody was able to look the ball of fire and smoke it was impossible to miss it after all

"Countermeasures."

He wasn't going to personally fight against them, that was why he had teams under his command and he had given them plans and many ways to deal with them for any kind of situation.

He only need to witness his work being put into practice.

But that couldn't do, he had other things to do besides watch a fight that would only have one outcome.

With his own team right behind him he moved to another location ignoring the clash of jutsus behind him. His mind was focused in finding good spot for a quick preliminary vision of the village that just become a battlefield.

However it was impossible for Boulder to send that little agents against them specially since it was their own counter attack but they had no idea where they were hiding despite having the Yamanaka sensory abilities with them she couldn't detect their signals before.

He kept moving across the buildings while searching a relative high place, Taki's forces were occupied in the fire that the explosion occurred and they were mostly focused in the surrounding of the inferno for any possible assault.

His searched ended after landing on a wooden roof not so far from the current battle of his teams, they brought their battle towards the roofs having a slight advantage since Boulder couldn't effectively use the earth in their favour.

He was able to see how his plan work perfectly against his enemy, but then his attention turned to the rest of village trying to spot other patrolling shinobis and if possible more agents.

Kichiro turned again to look at his squads gaining ground despite the numerical disadvantage just as expected. But even if they were too skilled it was imposible to always remain unscated and that was the case for Squad 1 they finally got hit and send flying against a building.

For a moment he considered to step in since they couldn't risk losing any member before the actual assault on the tree but he held himself back. Such impact couldn't hope to cause a lot of damage, they were wearing armor and other equipment to absorb blunt damage.

Yet they never expected that from the buildings many pair of hands to came out as if they were always part of the walls.

It was instantaneous but all the member from the squad 1 were swallowed by those hands.

No screams.

Or pleads.

No words.

No sound, only silence.

But the walls started to bleed in the exact spot where they were swallowed.

"Squad 1 lost."

Many would panic at such horrific death, after all nobody knew what happened inside there. It was dead, they just died in a second with no last words or sound and the only proof was the blood that still flowed from the walls.

Only Jun notified the obvious to Kichiro.

The sudden turn of events immediately made him change his plans.

"Call retreat."

Jun obeyed and inhaled before exhaling a big cloud of steam that covered all of the and it kept growing until it reached the second squad.

Squad 2 didn't hesitate to retreat from the battle and reunite with the rest waitin for the next set of instructions.

It would be a lie that Kichiro actually anticipated such outcome, he was aware of their ability to hide inside the earth and ambush, but he didn't expect that they could also replicate it with buildings.

The walls weren't safe anymore.

It was like a minefield.

The lost of a entire squad was unterobable for the chances of survival, it suffered a drastic drop.

One of the buildings was taller than the rest, it was a good idea to get the high ground better said it was always recomendable in a fight to obtain the high ground against an enemy, that was deeply engraved in their minds.

It was natural for them to channel the chakra to their feet, and start climbing the walls.

But what wasn't natural to them was to sink the moment they touched the wall.

Kichiro was the first to channel lighting to his feet to forcefully pull away his leg.

Jun followed as well with her kekkei genkai, with enough training any part of her body could use it, better say the entire body was perfect to release steam.

Shin only had his blade to defend and his quick handiwork, that alone was enough to cut of the hand and save himself from the cruel and unknown that awaited him inside the wall.

But it couldn't be said for the two chunin from Squad 2.

The walls were painted red again.

"Squad 2 injured."

Only the Jonin was able to escape and report.

"Changing full focus."

Boulder had already dominated the highground and the battlefield itself. Even if they were trained to remove or suppress their emotions, it was impossible to do not feel the anxiety forming within them.

They were humans with the mask of a weapon after all.

He had to rush everything.

"Target confirmed."

Taki's tree.

Protected by Taki shinobi from all angles.

All forces gathered there with killing intent.

Who knew if the rebel faction was among them, better said it was certain that they were mixed with the normal taki Shinobi.

All the killing intent surfacing, it was of all levels.

Taki was in front and Boulder from Behind.

"Rush."

With that single words the remaining Root agents attacked the fortified Taki position.

Taki forces didn't remain idle and their jounins performed several hand seals.

"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!"

From the lake their attacks came and without mercy lunged at them with maw wide open with the intention to swallow and kill on the spot.

Squad 2 only survivor immediately rushed at the front while performing his own hand seals, but nobody could hear the name of the jutsus since the chaos was too loud.

He started to spin as lighting enveloped his body becoming a powerful lightin drill which clashed head on with the combined water dragons attack.

The clash didn't last long and the dragons couldn't handle the heat of the lighting which forced them to go to the gas stage becoming steam which covered the entire place taking everybody their battlefield vision, it was the feared fog of war.

Despite that Kichiro kept going forward and cutting dow anybody who he came across catching them off the guard, a big mistake that could only mean death to them.

They kept pushing forward without stopping not even after watching their fallen member completely obliterated, his armor and gears were ripped apart while his mask was fractured showing part of his pale face. The clash against the dragons drained every bit of chakra since they couldn't feel any left coming from his body, they didn't slow down.

"Squad 2 lost."

Only reported.

At least they knew his cause of death unlike the still had the advantage to move within the mist and also that anybody of taki knew the silent killing technique since it was unique skill from the water country.

And with Jun being an kekkei genkai user of the Boil release she knew her way, she lead the rest avoiding strongest enemies and going for the weak, creating a clean path for the rest.

Time moves slow but it was clear that they did everything fast, Jun's goggles were dripping red just like her own weapon.

Kichiro finally turned back to check on the surviving agents, and besides his own squad the Yamanaka and Squad 3 jounin were still alive. Just in the attack he had lost half the team, and they also needed to breakthrough the enemy lines to escape from Taki, the numbers weren't favorable at all, better said they were very discouraging.

"Target reached."

The tree was finally in front of them after the breakthrough, they could only get inside and start their search and finish it as soon as possible

"Searching."

The tree was alive but at the same time hollow, but rather than just a hollow tree it was a complex building inside.

However Kichiro knew where to search without unnecessary words everybody followed his lead,yet it was an impossibility for the tree, one of the most important places for Takigakure, to remain unguarded or not have any defense mechanism even more when the invaders were getting closer and closer to their ultimate treasure

Without a Byakugan moving in a closed space proved to be dangerous when the traps were triggered one by one, it was a fluke but a kunai managed to sink on Kichiro vest. He was unfazed however, his vest was made to resist piercing attacks to a certain degree a kunai wouldn't be able to pierce him.

While in the first wave they relatively remained unscathed it was clear that the more they ventured the more difficult it would get to move or to not get injured before finding the guardians.

But they were tight on time, it had already been decided for a frontal assault no matter the cost.

The remaining members could only climb the tree as fast as possible while evading the traps that had been triggered by their presence with every step, thankfully for thm there was no explosive trap within them or they would have taken serious damage or even worse, lose another shinobi.

But it was strange, nobody was within sight even if they were hiding waiting for an opportunity to strike, they had already covered a lot of round nearing to the Hero's water, it could mean that all the defenders were regrouping in a single room waiting for them.

After a long way it was time to stop.

Two sides only looked at each other yet despite one had the numerical advantage they didn't dare to rush at the enemy because they were aware that looks could be deceitful, neither of them wanted to say something. But it was a mistake for the defenders remain standing only string, it gave Kichiro time to prepare his own weapon and obtain the initiative of the attack.

Without a dojutsu or a high developed sensory skills it was almost impossible to see his strings.

He lunged forward alone with apparent reckless abandon, his enemies showed a moment of confusion but quickly retaliated yet Kichiro evaded as many strikes as he could, after all within the crowd there are jounin level shinobi, again his equipment saved his skin from getting a deep wound.

His teammates remained in place not moving only staring at the crowd throw into confusion, it looked like he was dancing with them just like Kimimaro's dances.

But then he felt a sharp pain on his right arm.

Even with his resistance to pain he still felt that strike, it meant that it touch a never of his body or it was a serious injury.

It was enough indication for him to immediately retreat.

It was impossible to get every single one of the defenders but it didn't matter, with a few hand seals his strings activated, and he gave a powerful leap backwards; taking everything within his range with him.

Numbers didn't matter with such ability, it was unfair to see years worth of training, sweat and tears vanishing in a brim of a second as the darkness enveloped and the cold hands of the shinigami enveloped them for the eternity.

With their battle strength crippled the survivors were throw into confusion followed by the clear feeling of fear towards the unknown, they had no idea how so many had just died, especially in such gruesome way.

Perhaps with some time they might be able to grasp gist of the situation but they weren't given the chance at all, since it was Kichiro's teammate time to start their own assault, after all it was the perfect opportunity to do as much damage as possible and perhaps end everything in a quick swift.

However he didn't pay attention to the battle scene, rather he focused all his attention to his own wound which required a quick treatment to at least slow down the bleeding to an acceptable and survivable level.

There was no medic, he died against Boulder agents.

He neither could concentrate since there might an enemy lurking for him to lower his guard, despite being on shinobi mode he felt faint anxiety within him the moment he grabbed the sharp object that sinked in his flesh.

It hurt, it truly hurt but he didn't scream.

His arm was really warm on the exterior as the interior was getting colder.

From his pouch he quickly pulled out yarn which without second thoughts tried to fit on his wound, it hurt specially that he was constantly moving it and probably even increasing the size of his wound but it would at least slow down his bleeding.

After his improved self aid was done, his teammates were done as well with their own targets yet all of them looked worse than him, their entire armor and clothes were ripped apart showing the skin which was pierced and bleeding profusely, their masks had cracks and in Shin case it had the eye mouth shattered.

In silence they too focused in giving themselves a quick self aid to stop the bleeding from getting worse, Kichiro didn't pay attention anymore to them and proceed to their reason for a frontal and almost suicidal assault.

The room looked dull and no actual signal or hint about a secret vault or passage which would lead to the ultimate treasure, it was obvious that nobody in the right mind would do that sort of thing.

He only through one way to discover the secret, he had to force his way to the water.

With plans already set from the beginning he simply moved with another one and brought up his own explosive seals. However there was no time to place each of them all over the tree, he just scattered them all over the floor and ignited one seal.

In seconds the room was destroyed from the inside, everything was open and it was impossible for other to not notice what just happened in their most important location.

With risk of even more reinforcements it was a race against time to find and run.

But with most of the room destroyed everything was practically exposed saving a lot of time in the search where he finally found the small vault which contained the precious treasure.

He was preparing a counter sealing array in case of a protection but the closer he got he noticed that the sealing array was damaged rendering it useless.

He only needed to move the cover and retrieve his objective.

"Mission success."

It was empty.

The Hero's water was gone.

* * *

 **AN: Finally I hit the 100 reviews which is great so thank you guys.**

 **There isn't much to say since i kind of do a lot of procrastination which I should avoid. Damm I really hate being lazy, come on guys give some reviews and fav along with follows to power up my ego so i fight back against that annoying lazyness**


	43. Chapter 44

**Disclaimer: I own a Panini Album but Kishimoto owns the right of Naruto.**

* * *

What a horrible success was the mission, and Boulder strategies were completely new despite being aware of their ability to hide in mountains and earth I never expected them to actually be able to hide in the walls as well, perhaps they perfected the technique that any surface with earth properties would be a viable place.

Either way my victory was bitter.

My arm not only had received a deep wound that reached the bone but I got a lot of cuts on my back and chest which weren't that deep thanks to my now destroyed armor,but they still itches every now and then.

All of my protective gear became useless in a single night.

The only thing left to do was remain on a bed staring at the roof, I deserved rest. Besides with how many survived from the mission there was practically nothing to do or what could be done, we were incomplete and it was impossible to perform several task at the same time.

And since we had no expert in the medical arts, rest was the only viable option for my wounds to heal.

That or I could find another expert in that branch.

Since I couldn't do my medical jutsu on myself since most of my cuts were practically unreachable.

"You should be more careful Kichiro-san."

Who could have expected that the Jinchuuriki who lived alone in the forest had such deep knowledge about medicine? I was honestly surprised, but my surprise turned in to relief since I was going to be healed. Also I didn't actually lied to her, only twisted the truth a little; at the end she believes that I was a victim from the evil missing nins who cowardly ran away after injuring me.

I turned to see Fu closing the door with her feet, she was carrying a bag which I assumed were the medicine and other antibiotics to help me to heal my wounds, especially my arm which I was growing anxious about a possible infection.

"Maybe next time I will."

Fu let out a short giggle before placing everything on the little table next to the bed, for some reason I felt elated to be nursed by her. To be more specific, being nursed by a cute girl was actually a nice experience, perhaps it had some relation about a past fantasy.

However that didn't change the fact that no matter how much time passed I still felt shame in showing my naked body to others, even if it was only my chest. My only relief was that I was laying on my stomach showing only my back covered in cuts and my arm whose pain didn't cease even for a second.

It felt like small bites on my back but I knew that she was cleaning them before she could proceed with the next step, I simply endured the mild annoyance.

But when she reached the hole in my arm…

"You are lucky that nothing got your wound."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, judging by the size of this I actually expected to find flies' eggs, worst case a worm."

"Ehhhh…"

I was actually getting creeped out by her remark, I totally forgot that insects were common in humid areas and that some of them used other living beings to plant their parasitic offsprings and it could be dangerous to the person if not treated correctly.

The thought alone made me shudder.

But unlike me, Fu was actually amused by my reaction.

"Hehe, don't worry you are clean."

"That's good to hear."

From that point I simply lay there waiting for Fu to finish with her work, it was nice at first but then I became a little bored of staring the same spot of the wall and pillow became warm which I didn't like very much, pillows feel better when cold after all.

However I couldn't lie and say that Fu works didn't start to give fruits, the pain in my back was less than before while my arm wasn't pulsating as much. The clean water was actually relaxing and warm as well but only for a moment since it quickly went cold, the faintest breeze made my back go rigid, the cold was truly annoying me.

"You should bite the pillow."

"Why?"

"This might hurt a tiny little bit."

"Okay."

Following her advice I stuffed my mouth with a corner of the pillow and waited for her to do her thing that was supposed to hurt, still I had my doubts about how much it could hurt. physical pain compared with the internal pain which was exposed flesh was after all different since the skin worked as a layer of protection and open wound had nerves exposed.

Fu brought out a small pot and when it was opened the smell made its presence very clear thanks to the strong smell, it wasn't a disgusting stench but it was still strong, it reminded me of pure of those chemical substances which had warning about smells. The smell was really strong that actually made my eyes water a little.

"I'm starting."

I felt her hands and one was colder than the other which I deduced had the medicine and when it finally reached one of the my cuts…

I absolutely wanted to scream, better say I was practically screaming but everything that came was muffled sounds.

Of course it was absolutely painful, the general alcohol used for common cuts had no comparison with the pain I was currently feeling.

Pain.

More pain.

"Stretch your arm."

Even more pain followed.

Maybe just maybe if I were to cut my arm the pain would be gone, even if it sounded crazy I simply didn't want to suffer anymore.

Pain and pain and then nothing.

Yes everything stopped giving me room to breath as much as possible, I felt my throat hurt for all the noise done before.

But much to my dismay Fu only stopped pouring the medicine so she could take out a nail with thread, it was clear her intentions however in a way I also felt relaxed, a great relief enveloped me because I was absolutely sure that the pain had no comparison.

Compared to that so called acidic medicine, a little pinch on my skins was not going to be as painful as before.

"Don't move."

Without any complains I just remained like a statue and released the pillow which was wet with my saliva, it was unspoken but in my mind I was already planning to properly wash her pillow or I would be tagged as an ungrateful asshole.

Of course it had no comparison, better said I felt the nail like a mere tickles on my arm, it was a morbid experience but still I didn't mind at all, only what I cared was that later that big hole would soon be closed and the pain no longer would be there pestering me to no end.

"And...There!"

Fu exclaimed as she gave a quick pat to my head.

I repeat, being nursing by a cute girl was an absolute nice experience, specially the sweet smile that characterize them when they were done healing you.

"Ugh… Just a TINY little bit, right?"

"Maybe I exaggerated a little."

She became a little shy for a moment while playing with her fingers out of embarrassment, of course I didn't blame her, even less feel angry at her.

"Yeah maybe, but what is that?"

My finger hatefully pointed at the small pot.

Being an inanimate object it still get a lot of hate from my part, for a medicine to cause so much pain….there had to be a real reason behind the composition of the so called medicine. Maybe it had to be diluted first before applying.

"Medicine? Antibiotic? Dunno I only know it can heal."

"You made it?"

"Nope, it was given to me."

That made go deep in though for a moment, my arm and back, after going through a lot of pain, the pain was fading away with time only if I were to do an abrupt movement the pain would return. The medicine was effective that was undeniable, Taki made the medicine without a doubt, which lead me to think that they developed other type of healing sources since their medics weren't comparable to Konoha's, if I only had my medic alive he would have healed all of us in matter of hours.

It was a mistake to take him along for the mission, a pity. It would be great to have some sort of communication with the HQ and request reinforcement, well there was a method and means to do so but any of those were given to me.

"Anyways, thank you."

"No problem, though I would recommend to don't use that arm too much."

I gave a quick look on my bandaged arm and moved a little just to confirm the state, what I felt was a light pinch. It was a great progress in my road of rehabilitation but she was right, that arm would need to do the least possible effort.

"But how do you know so much?"

"By myself!"

Honestly I didn't know how to feel after hearing that, especially at seeing her bright smile on her. The process of healing a deep wound is painful to begin with, and for her to claim that everything was self taught could only mean that she experienced everything first hand.

Perhaps the feeling was pity.

After that I took a short nap.

Usually I wake up by myself but what truly woke me up was the smell of food, and not burnt food but actual food. Of course it sounded way too cliche but it was the true, after having a tortuous session my stomach wanted compensation in some sort and food seemed good enough.

Minding my wounds I took my time and getting up and making my way to the kitchen, but after a couple of steps my body staggered much to my surprise.

Immediately I leaned on the wall to support my body, perhaps the healing process took more than I expected.

However the smell of tasty food getting stronger made my stomach roar in demand giving a sudden rush of adrenaline which gave my body new strength to move forward.

With the beautiful natural light as my guide I arrived at the source of my delight.

Fū was there there cooking just like expected, she didn't notice me since all her attention was in cutting the celery in small cubes as fast as she could. a quick look at her table I was able to deduce with her ingredients that she was cooking a complete stew with lots of condiments.

I was actually surprised by her memory, I only cooked her that dish like two times.

Either way I did not anymore the moment she turned and send a beautiful smile. Being nursed and then waiting for her cooking to fill my hungry stomach, a fantasy becoming reality.

It didn't take long before the stew was ready and placed before me, it had a delicious appearance; the type that could make your mouth water in anticipation while the smell only made your tummy roar.

I had to admit that she was a fast learner or maybe she had secret talent.

"This taste incredible! Fu you are amazing!"

"Hehe thanks, but I think it could been even better if I had more ingredients."

"What do you mean?"

"Well...my pantry...is kinda...empty?."

Her revelation was like a shower of ice, and it actually made me feel bad about having her to use the last of her food. I was shameless in some aspects but I was feeling embarrassed specially after looking at her lips form a smile.

My rational mind was telling me to stop eating in that instant.

"Fu you don't mean…"

"NO!"

Fu abruptly stood up and hit the table with her palms.

"You went through a lot Kichiro, don't worry about me."

"You could have told me you know?"

"I didn't want to worry you and after seeing you in that state, I didn't want to make things worse for you."

"Well, I'm truly grateful and to show my thanks give me a list and I will bring anything that you want."

"Really?!"

"This is the least I can do for you."

"Give me a sec!"

Fu returned to her cheery self and was practically jumping around while she searched for paper and a pen, I couldn't help but let out a nostalgic smile.

The fantasies and little worlds could go together as the perfect couple but the reality was harsh to the point that could cut that bond with a knife without the minuscules portion of analgesics.

For one moment a really brief moment I had the thoughts, the actual curiosity of witnessing her face filled with joy into complete sorrow and utter despair.

I wasn't a sadistic cruel bastard, is more, I would actually feel a little sad the moment she broke.

I wasn't a bad person but...

Oh Fu, such a beautiful and innocent girl.

I could only pity her for such cruel fate that I was preparing for her.

* * *

The camp had always been silent and the moon was the only light we could use, giving a grim appearance to our surroundings, yet it did not change the fact that it was lonely to be the only one walking there, to be totally aware that I was the only one in the camp.

With such lonely environment my mind went again deep in thought regarding about my assault and al the losses I suffered for a bitter success, sucess which I wanted to pay with Shibuki blood. If he could have only stayed in Taki like he should have then nothing would have happen relatively speaking, I had hatred for him which demanded his head so my being could be finally relieved of the burden.

"Sempai."

"Yes Shin?"

"Yamanaka-san isn't showing sign of recovery, she requires advanced medical aid."

"And Jun?"

"Neither, but isn't as life threatening as Yamanaka-san."

It was both good and bad to hear the recovery progress or the lack of progress, the information was quite heavy, making my body to find support on the tree's cortex, since it involved a lot about how I was going to proceed with the mission.

"And Konoha teams?"

"I don't know."

"Shin try to find their whereabouts I believe they are close to Taki."

"I will do my best."

Shin left my side in an instant, scattered dry leaves taking his place which quickly were pulled down by the force of the gravity.

Still I was really surprised that he was the only one who technically left the battlefield uncated, technically being the keyword since the only wound or injury on his body were cuts that could be healed with water and soap, knowing the clusterfuck of a battle that I took part in; it made me wonder that the actual reason why Jun and the Yamanaka were so badly battered and one at the death's doorstep was that they did their best to protect him.

But in all of my rational thoughts that was simply impossible to be true, my conclusion came from a simple rule between us. Besides in term of value Shin only had sentimental value from my part and Sai, nobody else shared that sentiment with me; even Fu and Torune didn't. The Yamanaka as a clan agent had way but way more value than Shin who could be easily replaced in matter of seconds.

It was too many thoughts, too much toll for my mind.

At the end I paid a visit to the Yamanaka's hollow tree since we couldn't afford to be found out, and used a little of the medicine of on her to at least help her situation, she didn't say anything or felt anything, after all she was unconscious, but alive.

After my session with her, I prepared more hot water before entering Jun's tree.

"Good afternoon Jun."

Jun frowned the moment I entered, however that wasn't the only thing I noticed; her face had lost color, she was pale as a ghost. Her hair was unkempt and disheveled.

"We lost two squads and we had been severely injured, all of that for nothing."

But even in that state her tongue was sharp like a kunai, my pride as an intelligent and quick thinker was being stabbed with each and every word that came out from her mouth.

Just like Fu did with me I proceed to do exactly the same for Jun.

"Lay on your stomach."

After shifting her position I removed her cover without any hesitation, showing absolutely everything.

Witnessing woman in her birthday suit should be a mesmerizing experience of course an immature virgin would salivate between other things, of course I would have enjoyed the sight specially that Jun did have a good figure despite wearing a lot of clothings and her big goggles all the time, covering all of her features.

But no, her body was seriously pitiful to watch.

However what I was looking was destroyed taking away the beauty of the body, I didn't want to enter in detail but to sum up her state, she had missing chunks of flesh and my own cuts couldn't hope to compare with hers, and they were still leaking weak trail of blood staining the clean bed around her.

"Boulder is going to sent another team to finish the job, we cannot fight back."

Jun didn't show any sign of pain, better said she remained with the same attitude which I knew her to have, it is commendable to see her endurance specialty while I was suffering a lot from a single wound.

I wasn't trying to diminish myself, simple speaking she had far more experience than me.

But would be the same with Fu's onniment?

"This will hurt."

The room was filled with the powerful stech of the medicine after removing the cap But Jun didn't complain better said she remained in the same position with her sharp words as well.

"If we lose the Yamanaka agent, Danzo-sama will…!"

She almost jumped like a surprised cat.

"Don't move, bite the pillow if it's too much."

Her reaction brought the unpleasant memories which clearly were turning into good ones since I wasn't in the receiving end.

I could say that I was in a way glad that she was so focused in enduring since she had no strength to spare to keep her scolding on me.

But rather than enjoying her suffering I was way more concerned in properly healing her wounds, especially her legs; she did a good job in cauterizing so she wouldn't bleed out but leaving such size wasn't healthy at all.

By the way I did check for possible insects which there were none.

It took me hours to finish with the ointment and all of her wounds, it took considerable time to banadae the her entire body since she no longer assisted me and I could only use one arm since the other was in medical leave; I could only assume that the pain was truly unbearable for her.

It was a mummy what was resting on the bed.

Only after I finished I did hear the broken sobs from a lost girl.

"Jun?"

What could I even say?

It was a slap to the face to hear that particular sound.

Naruto did cry before but Naruto was Naruto, and a normal girl which I raised.

But Jun?

It was supposed to be an impossibility.

Why?

"I'm grateful... but….leave."

I complied inmeditaly, no objections.

It was the first time I had ever seen a full fledged Root agent cry, to show such emotion was outrageous, a scandal.

But she wanted privacy and I gave her the privacy that she wanted to so badly, for what?

Maybe to finally cry and vent everything, or perhaps not.

It was another mystery about her to add on my mental list.

But that didn't stop my heart to feel pressure, it had never happened before but I was sure that brotherly instincts kicked.

I really wanted to comfort her and give a shoulder for her.

* * *

"Let's see our supplies."

I completed everything in less than an hour, after all we were very organized with our supplies and personal belongings so searching and finding was easy to accomplish. Besides almost everything that she asked was food related and ingredients, of course cleaning tools and for personal hygiene.

Everything made a small mountain which might be a hassle to transport from point A to point B, specially that the first had no actual road giving a uneven terrain, but once again I was thankful that Ninja arts were vast and like always I had done with moving groceries between other things, a sealing or two sealing scrolls would fix every single problem with absolute ease.

But thinking it better chakra might had also been a reason why the world didn't develop technology properly, of course there were radios and even cinemas but the transportation system was practically primitive, either you walked or used a horse or any animal that could move stuff.

"Kichiro-sempaI!"

"Is something the matter Shin?"

"Konoha's teams have arrived."

I truly deserve a break.


	44. Chapter 45

**Disclaimer: Too young to actually have enough money to buy the rights so Kishimoto still is the owner of Naruto.**

* * *

Shin explained all the details he could gather about Konoha escort teams and the vip who they were escorting, I was glad that they didn't arrive to Taki yet; giving mee time to meet them and convince them to leave the village.

In my way to them I was thinking in my words, but with Kakashi around things would go smoother since he totally believed that I was an undercover agent so his trust toward me was increased besides it was also possible that Hiruzen spoke with him about Taki delicate situation.

Either way my anxiety was fading the more I thought about it.

Of course I couldn't show my face to Shibuki no matter what, from reasons derived from my paranoia to my actual hate towards him, while I was aware that my emotions shouldn't get involved in the line of duty, as long I didn't wear the infamous shinobi mask I was a hot-blooded human.

Following the directions I arrived to their camp and Kakashi as expected was engrossed on his hobby not so far away from the rest, the only concern I had was Neji's Byakugan but I had to be quick.

A note with a direct message written on it was enough, it was delivered through a kunai.

Kakashi as an elite nija was totally unfazed by the kunai and turned to my direction with a nonchalantly face, well his lone eye told me enough.

I didn't linger there any longer and retreated far back from my position.

Kakashi unlike him didn't make me wait a ridiculous amount of time.

"I didn't expect to find you here Kichiro."

"The world is a small place after all, you know? Besides as active shinobi our paths will cross many times in the future but enough of pleasantries, all of you must return to Konoha inmeditaly."

"That's a very odd request."

"Of course it is but the reason behind it is that Shibuki lied to all of you."

With the cat out of the bag both of us became serious in matter of seconds, it no longer had the same friendly than before in our greetings but shinobis talking about potential life and death situations.

"Explain."

"This isn't a merely escort mission, I believe that the Hokage told you about this particular mission if not then you are competent enough to deduce it by yourself."

"Naruto might get worried if she sees your injury."

I was a little surprised that he quickly noticed my injury despite it was covered with new equipment I was able to salvage from my skirmishes.

I could only sigh.

"Not might, she will be incredible worried if she see the severity of my arm, while I have no doubts about your abilities and Might Guy, I am more concerned about your genins, specially Naruto's safety since all of them will be entering a real battlefield."

"How dangerous is it?"

"I cannot reveal much information but I have already lost two squads and the survivors are in terrible condition. Kakashi the situation is fucked up really fucked up."

And one I shouldn't mention the death toll of the other sides as well, it was practically a war that was fought in Taki night prior to their arrival and the level of destruction was high.

"I don't like the sound of it."

"Your mission is over the moment Shibuki arrives at the entrance, immediately leave without turning back."

That was my one and only demand.

After that, he stayed in front of me deep in thought. I gave him time as well to make the right decision but in my mind it wa clear that he was going t accept the moment I brought up the safety of his team. After all, Kakashi experiences in life left a deep scar which had everything about him oriented towards the safety of his team rather the duty itself no matter its importance.

"While I don't like the idea of leaving just like that, you're right, I don't want to risk my team safety."

"Good to know so tell Guy about this as well."

"Sure."

One could say that I was glad that I completed my objective very easy, which was true, but even if I had already said t myself that it was my only objective to achieve I couldn't say that it was entirely correct, another idea popped in my head.

"By the way Kakashi, would you kindly bring my injured teammates back to Konoha?"

"What a nice joke but it takes more than that to make me laugh Kichiro."

Kakashi was serious, he wasn't joking at all with his reply.

It made me think for a reply his attitude after all it came fast and severe.

"Don't be stubborn, the old warhawk will have my neck if I lose every single agent assigned to me. I'm injured and I cannot protect them while watching my back, this will really take a big burden from my back."

What Jun was trying to say before was in fact true, Danzo wouldn't let me off easily if I were to lose every single agent specially a clan agent in a mission no matter the difficulty of said mission.

Such result were bound to be harshly punished even if I did poses some value or perhaps I had some benefits that others couldn't hope to achieve, in the meantime of everything I was at the end of the day somebody below in the chain of power, who had to obey the rules set by those in the higher position.

"I see your reasoning but you are placing a huge responsibility on my shoulders Kichiro, your enemies might attack us in the way, have you thought about that?"

I clicked my tongue.

"Shit…you are right."

My head was in disarray for a brief moment.

"I think we can manage to do it and avoid trouble, so do you still want to send them to us?"

"Forget that, I will thing in another way."

My thoughts became organized and so I became frustrated with myself for not thinking my suggestion more thoroughly, since the idea itself came fast of course doing a deep analysis wasn't exactly possible unless I was a super genius like a Nara.

Boulder attacking them wouldn't be too far fetched to think as a possibility, handing my injured teammates would give them more reasons to attack them.

More thoughts and the more possibilities came to mind, and the bad ends increased as well.

Truly it was a matter worth to take a seat and spend hours to analyse.

"By the way Kichiro can you tell me what is your mission?"

Kakashi probably noticed me to not being responsive or just staying silent so he intruded my sudden concentration but I didn't mind, since I wasn't going to actually do it then, why worry so much about an impossibility?

"I cannot, you should be perfectly aware of all the protocols regarding a mission no matter the rank."

"I do, but it was worth a shot. Don't worry, we will be leave as soon as possible."

"I have the feeling that it will not be as simple as it sounds."

Honestly Naruto only came to mind, I taught her a lot about values and morals and without a doubt Hiruzen reinforced those beliefs in all those years. Better said I already had an idea of the following scene of her refusing to leave Shibuki to his luck.

"Same here but who knows? The future is a mystery that nobody can predict neither dictate."

With his quote said he was gone from my field of vision, his words fresh on my mind it made me wonder about my future for a brief moment as well.

A frown quickly distorted my calm expression.

"You are wrong but your thoughts are yours and mine are mine."

The future was already written by me after all.

* * *

As told Kakashi didn't waste time and returned to the camp to directly speak to Might Guy about the relatively new influx of information, of course in a safe zone where no curios ear could be lurking in the surroundings especially the Vip who issued the mission with a little extra, which became a spoiled not very nice surprise.

At the end it didn't really matter what to do next before talking with the other jonin, who became dead serious about the situation, after all Kakashi was already convinced by Kichiro short but precise explanation.

While the Sublime Green beast of Konoha is fond of battle and to show everybody, either foe or ally, how bright his flames of youth can get. He too cares alot for his genin and no harm shouldn't befall on them as long as he could have prevented it.

With everything said both jounins continued the mission silence along with their respective teams, and escorted the weak looking Kage back to Taki secret entrance. Of course they weren't right before the entrance but in the area where the secret entrance was hidden.

The genins were admiring the scenery and Sai inmeitaly brought up his handbook where he didn't hesitate to draw his inspiration that came from the beautiful scenery of Taki, and so sparking the curiosity of the other genins who weren't accustomed to his antics.

Specially TenTen.

Naruto in her case was waiting for Kakashi next order until her eyes noticed Shibuki speaking with other person who she had never seen before, her curiosity sparked but didn't dare to get closer to them. Merely looking from her position was enough, the details and all the body expressions were what she was looking with analytical eye.

After they finished she elaborated conclusions which were related to the whole truth, after all Shibuki face went pale for a reason and then his face showed misery as well as deep regret. As curious as she was she wanted to ask some question but Kakashi was first to speak with Shibuki.

He couldn't hide his shock at hearing Kakashi decision, becoming white as paper while uncontrollable trembling, one didn't need to have good eye for the details to see his hands shaking and his eyes on the verge of tears.

Naruto was truly feeling sorry for the young Kage.

But that feeling was soon replaced by surprise at hearing that they were leaving, better said everybody except her was shrinking on the distance and soon leaving her behind if she didn't hurry to catch up with them.

Which she did moment later; arriving at Kakashi side.

"Are we really leaving Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yup, our mission was to escort Shibuki and we did."

"But he seemed troubled about what was happening there might be happening something really bad and he might need help."

"Naruto don't argue, we shouldn't involve ourselves with other people matters."

"Hey guys are you really fine with this?!"

"Hn." Sasuke's attitude while had a lot of changes regarding that cocky attitude of his, however his typical reply didn't change in the slightest which infuriated her to no end.

"He is our leader so we have to obey his orders." Sai was a complete turn of attitude as well, he only obeyed nothing more, technically speaking he never ever questioned an order.

"Sorry Naruto, but Guy-sensei agrees with Kakashi-sensei." It was turn to the other kunoichi in the group to speak up as well.

"But where is everything that you talked about never leaving anyone behind? About doing what is right?"

It was exactly in that moment when the veteran ninja stopped right on his tracks, and his lone eye looked at her with clear surprise which she noticed immediately. Since she got his complete attention she wanted to continue with her argument but rather than remain like a statue her teacher was quick to grab her hand and practically drag her away from the group where nobody could and should hear them.

Since it happened very fast she didn't notice until she was already away from the rest before she started to throw complain after complain, especially claiming the human rights as well for a women's rights. Those two were actually invented, since Kichiro was the one who told her about the two a long time ago.

"Okay Naruto I will be clear, drop the subject; we are returning to Konoha."

Naruto finally was able to break away from his grip since the strength was no longer being applied so it wasn't really an achievement, but either way her attitude didn't suffer any change, she remained very angry towards her teacher who always preached about doing what is right.

"No way! You taught us a lot, are you saying that everything you said was a lie?"

"Of course not, this is different Naruto. A lot of things are involved in this and it will be really dangerous for you all, I don't want any of you to be harmed."

"What are you saying?"

"Naruto Taki is a ticking time bomb right now, if we do not leave then bad things will happen."

"That's better reason to stay and help in whatever we can!"

She had been taught a lot and one could conclude from all those teachings that one should try to help in any way possible, her morals and ethics had been guided in help others and do what is morally correct, of course anything that deviated from that would be met with resistance and even hostility.

And she was getting angry overtime, hearing the constant refusal to the call of help was infuriating her more and more.

Of course she wasn't lone and her teacher was slightly getting a bit annoyed at her antics, but he was trained in many ways of the ninja world so it was very difficult to actually make him snap.

A single sigh was enough for him to vent any negative emotion that was forming inside, Kakashi wasn't getting angry at her better said, he was feeling a little happy since she was upholding her ideals quite well just like he wanted.

So it was time to use the last resort.

"Alright, I will be honest. Kichiro is here."

"Onii-chan? Where is he?!"

His lack of surprise to the sudden change of attitude was expected, it happened so but so many times that it might be considered a concern in a possible future.

"He had been sent on mission remember?"

"Yes! But how is that…."

Her expression immediately showed realization as if everything clicked, that all the pieces from the puzzle finally fitted together solving a big mystery that had been bothering her quite a while.

"You are a quick, I like that. Kichiro after hearing your arrival he immediately came to tell me everything about Taki situation, and is bad really bad. He also told me that he doesn't want you to get involved in this mess, is too dangerous."

"But…"

"Look Naruto I know how you are currently feeling but how do think Kichiro will feel if something were to happen to you?"

Naruto immediately understood, she didn't want to cause any trouble for Kichiro, of course she did cause some trouble time ago but never in the line of duty since both of them knew the importance and consequences very well.

"Can I see him?"

"I don't know."

Both Kichiro and Kakashi parted in different ways after their meeting, a promise shouldn't be made since he had no idea where he might be at the moment or how could he be contacted. At the end it wasn't right to get her hopes up, only to unintentionally crush them

"Yes you can, only turn around."

"Onii-chan!"

In a blink of an eye Naruto latched on his waist with a tight but warm hug.

Of course he didn't doubt any second to return such warm gesture.

"Thanks Kakashi-sensei but I will take it from here."

"Sure."

And the two youngster finally had their privacy, their embrace laste a considerable time before both parted away and toof seat near a tree where coincidentally a rock was there as well. Kichiro too the tree while Naruto prefered to sit on the relatively flat surface of the rock.

"I guess that my cute imouto is having trouble."

"Of course! I cannot stand to leave Shibuki alone!"

Back to the beginning.

"I know, Taki situation is not really good but my team is already working on that matter."

"Really?"

Kichiro wanted to follow the topic but refrained from doing so, he had to be careful of how he worded the entire thing, a lot of information was very sensitive.

Before she could start to feel something was off, the words finally arrived to his mouth.

"We can handle this so don't worry, Shibuki is already receiving a lot of help from Konoha but we are just keeping it secret for safety measures."

The concern in her vanished.

"That's great! But cannot just tell him? He is really worried about his village."

"Sadly I cannot, secrecy in mission sometimes is too important no matter if the other is the most trustable person in the world. There will be times that you must keep silence."

Naruto knew that he was right, he had more experience than her and she always believed his words regarding about the ninja world. Besides nobody told her that Kichiro was incorrect, is more, they actually were in an agreement with his points and ideals.

"Can I help?" She had a bit of hope in her voice, it was a golden opportunity for her to finally see him action and have a mission together. In other words she wanted to spend time with him since their time together was a bit lackluster lately to say at least.

"I would love to have a mission with you but not right now, this mission is way more complicated than you believe, the minimal mistake will have the worst possible of consequences that you can think of."

He absolutely wanted to keep his injury a secret under the cape but it was a necessity to show her the consequences of the minimal mistake.

"Your arm!"

"Yeah, a mistake from my part but is just a scratch so don't worry."

A very deep and painful scratch that reached the bone, and the number of stitches on it were many, and the entire healing was done by a cute jinchuuriki. But that was information that shouldn't be revealed.

"I guess you are right."

"Hey don't feel down, when I return I promise that I will spend an entire week with you."

It was a fact that he will be given a time to rest so making promises like that had little difficulty, besides he owned her quite some time.

"Awesome!"

Like a happy rabbit she was jumping like one.

Kichiro on his side merely walked over her with a smile being amused of her antics as always.

"Let's go, your friends are waiting."

By grabbing her hand he took the lead so they could catch up with the rest of the Konoha team.

* * *

Later time I was back at the camp with Shin looking at me with a blank expression, which was a little odd coming from him since he was the kind of person to keep a genuine smile on him.

"They could have taken Jun and the Yamanaka back to Konoha, sempai."

"Yes, but it would only bring unnecessary danger to them, we cannot risk the safety of Konoha Jinchuuriki and the last Uchiha."

Kakashi told me the reasons and I only delivered the same message but the it had the same results, Shin was pensive for while. After all he didn't think that far.

"I see."

"Anyways what were you able to gather this time?"

"After Boulder's attack Taki had been crippled, their strength should not be considered pressing threat anymore, Boulder was too bold in that attack the number of agents that were lost is large."

I felt the little spark of joy at hearing the misery of others especially of Shibuki, but I was far more content at a possibility that I had been looking for weeks.

A weak spot.

A weakness that could be exploited.

"Shibuki then is vulnerable, correct?"

"I apologize in advance but you are incorrect, Shibuki still have powerful bodyguards."

"Dammit…"

What a disappointment.

I thought all my efforts finally started to pay off, at least I knew that things became simple as our enemies had been injured in the last battle.

I was preparing to leave to the camp but Shin stopped me with his hand gently resting on my shoulder.

"However I also learned that he is planning to search for the Jinchuuriki of the Seven tails."

Disappointment gone, replaced by shock.

"How did you know that?"

"I caught a messenger, sempai. The letter specified that today at night they will met."

And joy.

"That's my kohai!"

A pat on his back, if I wanted to show a little more affection a hug would have been the choice but I was staying with a simple pat. And the smile returned to him, I could tell that he was happy of my praise giving me satisfaction as well, it showed the bond between sempai-kohai between us.

"Usually I would like you to accompany me but you cannot leave them alone and unprotected."

Even with an injury if I could set everything up properly then winning a fight against a relative stronger opponent wouldn't be that difficult to accomplish, that was my strength which I was proud of, after all only the smart ones survived in such world.

"I understand."

It was time to prepare the meeting location with a kage.

The Kage killer.

The words alone are badass.

And cool.

I like it.

* * *

 _ **AN: Oh well honestly I was too happy the last couple of days for many reasons and one of the was that I actually won my first solo game of Fornite and from there I started win with may kills and have awesome fights against others so yeah I am happy about it. So there I sat on my laptop and thought hey let's finish this and boom.**_

 _ **Review is the food for the writers you now? They feed our hungry ego vitalizing our brains as well so it gets full of ideas which will turn into words and those words into sentences and those sentences into paragraph and those paragraphs into chapters.**_

 _ **LOL wtf I said there, probably didn't make much sense but yeah dont forget to review, follow and fav**_

 _ **THANKS!**_


	45. Chapter 46

_**Disclaimer: Becoming the owner of Naruto** **as** **much as possible as obtaining a knife in CSGO loot** **crates** **or any ultra rare epic skin of any game out there.**_

 _ **Welp except in Overwatch and Fornite since you can buy them directly. (Still expensive though)**_

* * *

He expected more trouble in the time he was away seeking for help, but never in his wildest dreams his imagination could go that far but the reality was grim, the loss that Taki suffered was too much, he couldn't imagine the number of years it would take t recover. And that was only an estimate for military forces since the economical aspects were even worse to look at.

He had to involve a third party into the mess, it was the only choice he had. And he was going to accept all repercussions that his move could have caused.

Everything seemed fine, giving hints about his problem and how much he would love some help. He was feeling a hint of hint at hearing that they were going to help him, though those promises came from the younger ones still their words were encouraging to say at least.

But after arriving they packed things and left.

It was a devastating blow.

To the see the last light of hope being engulfed in darkness right in front of his eyes, Shibuki had to praise himself for not breaking down and weep.

His father trusted him to take care of the village but he had no idea how to do so anymore, besides he was young and inexperienced.

And there he was thinking about abandoning everything and never look back, he simply couldn't endure things anymore.

In the positive light the side that wanted to overthrow him would take care of Taki better than him, the only thing he needed to do before leaving was to take Fu with him since it was a high possibility that they would use her as a weapon until she could no longer continue, that thought alone terrified him more than anything.

He didn't prepare a speech to convince her, he was going to visit her after a long time, a small talk and then they would leave Taki.

No complexity on his plan but he was sure that it would work.

But he had to push those thoughts aside.

While he isn't a skilled fighter he is aware of his surroundings.

A good trait since it had saved his life many times over the course of years.

The darkness of the forest at night might pose an obstacle to spot danger but he could still feel a presence hiding between all the large trees.

Not only he knew the danger but with the tense seconds was enough to deduce that the danger was a human and not a wild animal.

Despite becoming aware that didn't stop him to feel nervous, he was a young person after all. He hasn't experienced true life and death battles yet, his mind would be considered innocent.

"Who are you?"

Silence replied.

"What do you want?"

But when silence came again he knew that it was pointless to ask the enemy.

Without more doubt, his stance changed into defense as his eyes searched in all directions.

That didn't remove the worry on him for a possible strike to his blind spot, the anxiety was increasing as there was no response or any movement from the enemy.

The sweat on his forehead was a clear indication of the pressure he was feeling.

"I see, you are after my life; aren't you?"

The silence, the desolated location and the clear killing intent; everything pointed at one conclusion and that is death.

His worries turned into fear in a split of a second after his brain deduced the true intentions.

At first, his mind was thinking in a plan to fight back and escape but it was clear that the willpower to fight vanished, escape was the only thing he wanted to do, perhaps that was the only course of action he could take.

"What?!"

It was too late.

Something chained his legs to the ground and pulled him down.

Shibuki became restless as he used his chakra to escape but it only caused his heart to accelerate to the point that it started to hurt.

His breaths no longer provided the essence of life.

Engrossed in his own problem his sharp senses were numbed leaving him completely exposed to attacks, an opportunity that wasn't wasted by the assailant.

The young kage realized too late to dodge or at least block the blow, the flying kick collided with his stomach sending his entire weight flying.

"Ugh! "

Like a ball, he bounced on a couple of times ground before stopping thanks to the laws of physics.

The strength behind the last kick was enough to move and twist all of his insides into a complete mess.

He can feel how everything inside him moves while he can't feel it anymore, the lack of pain is worrisome.

It is natural for blood to come out from his mouth, while that signal could be taken as ambiguous it was still bad for him no matter the circumstances since an injury of that caliber had greatly decreased his combat potential.

But if one were to analyze Shibuki closer, it wasn't an exaggeration that Shibuki had been incapacitated and possessed no threat anymore. After all, he couldn't even stand before throwing up his meal bathed in red.

"I...I cannot die…"

He couldn't.

Many depended on him.

Taki needs him

Fu needs him.

Even if the price is too much.

Never in his life, he expected that he would mature as a person right at death's doorstep, but it was clear that better late than never.

His mind was resolute in the decision.

His trump card was the treasure that he had to protect at all cost from anybody, but he never thought that he would be forced to use the water, after all, he only wanted to protect it.

A single sip was enough to increase one chakra tenfold.

With so much chakra he would be able to defeat his opponent in a single strike and ignore any damage done to the body.

So a single sip.

That's all he needs to do to accomplish his goal.

But it was a fatal mistake to ignore the surroundings.

However, that fact didn't seem to matter to him as he brought out the precious liquid from his clothes and removed the cap so his mouth could savor the essence of raw power and the freshness of a drink to refresh and revitalize his spirit that was a weak moment ago.

Only to disappear in an instant, appearing right at the hand of the enemy shinobi who simply put the bottle inside one of his pockets and becoming the new owner of the Hero's water.

"NO!"

The sound of glass shattering, the complete and utter destruction of his heart.

There were no words to describe the world crumbling around him.

To feel a knot destroy his throat as utter despair engulf him as a whole.

However, he could think in grief and wail how much of an idiot he was.

He was the biggest idiot in the entire world.

Yet, even idiots didn't want to die.

There had to be one way to escape, to survive.

But the assassin had no care about Shibuki feelings, but what did matter to him was expressed by the unsheathing of the tanto while stepping closer to the crawling form of the young Kage.

"Target locked."

His weight was enough to keep him from moving further away, but that wasn't enough reason for the other to stop trying even if his arms had no strength left to even move an inch.

He raised his blade with the tip pointing downwards direct to the struggling form of Shibuki.

The sharpness of the blade slowly sank in the flesh reaching the kind heart of young kage, Shibuki didn't utter a single word or sound.

His eyes just looked how it slowly descended and sank into his chest.

But both pair of eyes connected in their grim connection, and even if it was for a second, he knew. He understood what was behind that mask.

He wanted to cry in despair.

Yet he could only weep in the afterlife where nobody would ever hear his thoughts, even less his voice.

"Target neutralized."

His eyes finally lost the color of life.

And a Kage killer was born.

But just to be sure he twisted the tanto a couple of turns just to confirm the kill.

Then there was silence, even the forest itself stopped with the howlings of the wind.

Kichiro's eyes looked at the nothingness of the darkness for a moment, he was acting like a like a statue expressing a scene of the tragedy, with tense seconds that could be felt by hours to others he finally removed his mask.

Both of them.

"A tragic end for a good guy such as you Shibuki, but don't worry Fu is in good hands I will do my best to maintain her happiness."

He looked at the fresh corpse a second before his attention shifting to his blade bathed in his warm blood as well the blood that was satisfying the grass underneath him.

"But I won't deny the fact that I did hate you for trying to involve Naruto in this mess, and forcing me to take drastic measures resulting in a big loss with little to no benefits."

A small cloth was retrieved from one of the many pockets which were used for cleaning purposes, after all, he couldn't have his weapon dripping blood. That would be considered bad maintenance and carelessness since fresh blood could be detected from long distances by predators, shinobis with a sharp sense of smell and nin-kens.

But as his blade was becoming clean his mind did as well.

Taking a life wasn't a big deal but when that life was related to another who he actually cared for even if it was just a little.

The pressure and the discomfort were understandable to some degree.

In the end, Fuu words held some true which he is in fact, denying.

Hiding the truth was the same as lying.

"Now is her turn."

By pulling out a kunai his mind was preparing for the inevitable procedure.

"This is gonna hurt…"

For both of them.

After all, he couldn't deny the fact that he did care a little for her.

And so with deep breaths, his heart tried to maintain calm as the sharpness slowly got closer and closer to the stitches of his freshly treated wound.

* * *

Fu is a curious girl.

While that trait of hers occasionally got her into some trouble, there are times which her curiosity leads to beautiful and fun experiences as well. So to her curiosity couldn't be bad as others told her.

The perfect example was Kichiro, he was fun and taught her a lot of fun things which brightened her days also she unquestionably loved his cooking to the point that returning to her old diet is out of the question.

She already decided that she would no longer eat something so simple after learning all of those delicious recipes. Also, she no longer was running low on supplies since Kichiro was kind enough to deliver everything that she needed for at least a couple of weeks.

However, it's not the time for her to keep thinking about those things.

She has heard explosions close to her house.

Not exactly close but to a considerable distance away that could be relatively close to some and far to others, with that being reason enough she went to investigate the source.

Of course, she isn't that naive regarding violence.

She did fight before.

While she isn't a weapon expert, for sake of diversity she still brought the standard shinobi weapons known as kunais and shuriken with her. But she preferred taijutsu over any other style of fighting.

Unlike many other she could see in the night, it was a little secret of hers but being a jinchuuriki had its own personal advantages so moving through the dark forest was no difficult feat, even more, that she knew the terrain as the back of her palm.

The source of the explosions came to an area where animals didn't go frequently since predators were more common to appear around there.

But the closer she gets the more discrepancies she finds with the terrain, the most obvious difference being trees almost reduced to ashes and relative wide holes on the ground. Those things don't make much sense to her, it was as if people fought. But she has absolutely no idea of who and why people would fight in the forest.

But she needs to investigate and inform herself regardless the possibilities and reasons.

She could no longer stay up in the trees, while it was safer to keep the high ground she would obtain very little information about what happened and what caused those explosions.

But she had a very chilling sensation crawling all over her back reaching her neck the moment her feet stepped on the ground.

"Hello?"

It isn't a good start to use a meek voice but the environment is engulfed in a somber and dreadful feeling that Fu didn't want to continue investigation anymore; she feels that returning to her warm bed and forgets what happened, is the best course of action to take.

Her eyes scanned the surroundings before gulping down her nerves.

"Is somebody there?"

But the response came as silence forcing her to venture even further into the wasted battlefield and learning more details.

Broken equipment scattered all over the ground.

By picking one of the many broken pieces her experience was able to deduce the type of weaponry it used to be.

Yet she didn't find people, which was odd.

For a battle of that scale, there was bound to be casualties unless it was one of those rare occasions where both sides left without any casualty after a brief skirmish.

Either way, blood should have been spilled which would attract the predators, animals that she didn't see near or feel at all.

Nothing added up to the situation making it more mysterious to her.

Her sense perked up.

She heard a rustling sounds not far away.

Many thoughts and possibilities passed through her mind, but none of those thoughts came to be a reality.

"Kichiro-kun?!"

Dumbstruck is the word since never in her wildest thoughts she could have expected that Kichiro would be the one that made those noises, even more, she didn't expect that she would find him in the forest at night.

"Oh, hey Fu…"

Kichiro could no longer support his own weight and gravity dragged him down to meet the ground in an unceremonial manner, and she wasted no time to go to help him in any way possible.

"What happened to you?!"

She couldn't describe the mix of her feelings after looking at the sorry state he was in, especially after days ago she healed a very nasty wound on his arm and a couple of cuts on his back, but the battered state of his body really could tell a lot by a single glance.

"I...I'm fine...I am only tired…and a little battered but..."

"Please tell me!"

Fu thoughts became a mess after finding him in middle of her investigation, she couldn't place the pieces together since the beginning and with the new information, it became even harder to understand.

But rather than solving the mystery she just wanted to help him and try to understand what just happened to him to end up in the way he was currently in.

"But he needs help…."

Kichiro despite having no strength left in him he somehow managed to overcome the limitations of his body and exert a little more to his arm which pointed to a direction.

Only then he let his eyelids connect embracing the darkness.

"Who?!"

She became frantic at hearing that there were more who might be in worse state than him, even the fact that the other person might be his friend.

Her hand immediately went to his neck and felt the pulse.

"Wait for me!"

She didn't want to leave him alone but she couldn't waste more time since another life was on the line and for some reason, she trusted his words rather than her own rationality and experience dealing with wounds.

Her feet were fast in the pacing while her mind solely focused on finding a person, she couldn't pick up the details of the scenery. But for some reason, a knot formed making it difficult to breathe.

There was a new feeling of dread befalling on her which shook her entire body.

Unlike the last warning she really, but really didn't want to find out who was the person that required aid more than Kichiro.

And without her noticing, she arrived at the scene of the crime.

The silence.

And she looked down.

"Shibuki-nii…."

Legs trembled and became like jelly no longer supporting her body as the knot intensified preventing her from breathing at all, with no air anxiety and despair reigned on her heart after witnessing an impossible scenario that her mind refused to accept as reality.

"No..no...no...nonononono!"

But denial is as one of the many steps before acceptance.

"I don't want to be alone!"

It is her biggest fear, a fear shared by many people who appreciate friendship and family above others needs. But for her, the world was falling apart second by second, just like her heart.

"Please Shibuki-nii!"

A pitiful scene to see, a girl clinging to the death expecting a miracle to happen, at least some words of fake comfort so she could continue living with those bittersweet memories. But the reality of the world is known to be cruel and crude.

"Please!"

There was no warm on his touch, and no love coming from his eyes.

The coldness touched deep within her freezing her turning in a fragile thing, which with mere touch could shatter in million of pieces.

The heart of a young girl is the first one to shatter.

"SHIBUKI-NIIII!"

All seals worked differently but one thing in common between all the jinchuurikis and their seals were that those were vulnerable to the emotions, an excess of any emotion would weaken the barriers giving the opportunity to the caged beast. The seven-tails was no exception, it used all Fu grief and sorrow to fuel the fire in her which would slowly consume the seal.

She no longer cared about anything.

The heart, the pain it produced was so much that she no longer had a voice to express herself.

But pain soon was redirected as anger.

Rage.

Hate.

It was like fire which slowly consumed her skin.

But it's in a literal way.

Her concentration, the entire attention was to focus and direct all those emotions to a single point, a weak point to strike and cause as much damage as possible to the seal, and perhaps break free.

But a small parchment of paper stopped everything.

"Fuin!"

The seal didn't do a spectacle to show that it was working.

Fu simply dropped unconscious on Kichiro arms, she was abnormally hot, it was like submerging a hand on boiling water.

If he didn't destroy all of his gear on purpose then he wouldn't have minded a little rise of temperature, but since that wasn't the case he could only endure the burning fire that was on his arms.

Kichiro couldn't allow her to go that far, better said he couldn't allow the tailed beast to do as it pleases with Fu and her weakened heart.

"Rest well Fu, tomorrow your life will change."

Jolts of pain on his arm wasn't exactly a nice experience but he had to carry Fu back to her home where a warm bed was waiting for her.

"For the better or the worse, that I cannot be certain."

And a new future scripted by him.

AN: So I found a program that could check my grammar while it will not be 100 percent correct it is definitely going to help me and my problem. And I did and damn I really did so many grammar mistakes that I didn't even know about. But I guess that something for somebody whose English isn't native language Oh well at least it will improve the quality or I hope it will do so.

Oh by the way for anyone who is interested I started writing a short story in RoyalRoad.

The name is Your Faithful Knight. (I can't give a link since FF does not allow it.)

A story set in a fantasy-medieval world telling about a princess is exposed to the grim reality of the said world and attempts to fight for her ideas, only her against the world. Attempted being the keyword here, after all, the reality is cruel.

But is not everybody, is strictly for the Mature audience, but obviously I know that any here lie about their age just to read some juicy and succulent literature works, but who cares. LoL


	46. Chapter 47

Disclaimer: Not even the Emprah of Mankind can give me the rights of Naruto.

There are times when I start to ponder and wonder about possibilities and the IF routes that I could take from each divergence point that appeared before me, just like the situation with Fū.

But all of them will remain in thoughts.

In the meantime I need to finish my breakfast or my stomach will keep demanding its fill, I haven't eaten since yesterday, Fū's situation was quite delicate and it required most of my attention so the Bijuu couldn't go out of control.

And my arms got slightly burnt because of that.

While it isn't something to be that concerned about, I still had to wrap bandages on both arms to avoid any possible infection.

Good thing that I'm cooking a soup with good consistency, I can focus on other things and take care of Fū unconscious body while waiting for it to finish.

"Uggh…"

Or no longer unconscious.

"Easy there Fū."

She shifted positions pretty often, rolling her body to one side then to the other before finally opening her eyes.

Her very dead eyes which connected with mine.

"What... happened? Everything….it hurts…"

Fū's words made me hesitate to follow my script, it is pitiful to look or hear her grief. I could compare to watching a sad movie but one that you have been already spoiled.

"You need to rest more." I sighed, it is better for everybody if our talk can be postponed.

It would be suspicious otherwise.

Out of place.

"Kichiro?"

"Yes?"

"Why it hurts?"

I would rather keep my mouth shut regarding the matter.

"It really hurts."

Her face didn't show any change at all, asking those type of question while maintaining a stone expression isn't normal at all.

Is horrible.

"Fū, please go to sleep."

"But it hurts."

I didn't utter a single more word despite she kept asking me the same question over and over again.

The only way for me to describe the situation is, trying to explain to a kid that her parents are dead and will no longer come back.

It's heavy.

So against my better judgment, I left her side to another room where I could think alone.

I really need to think again.

I'm at fault here.

I intentionally broke her.

I expected that she would wake up and cry her eyes out but to see that outcome…

"Man, I'm trash."

But only me and a mute know about that particular dirty little secret.

Even then I should still think of ways to maintain secrecy on the matter, the world is a small place where secrets not always would remain as such.

That is my only worry regarding Fū.

In a different room I stayed to meditate for a long while, I know is not a good idea to leave her alone but it is complicated even with my self-proclaimed experience I can't muster correct words.

I directed all my focus to the chakra training exercises again, that fighting style needs to be learned and then mastered, it can boost my strength overall and also can feed my ego for appearing cool in future sparring sessions, selfishness of course but also practical.

But as much as I tried to follow Yamanaka suggestions, I simply couldn't move the yin chakra to point A to point B, I still don't understand the whole thing that is a different type of chakra.

Of course, my stomach rumbles is another factor causing my concentration to falter, I have time to eat and Fu might remain in that state for who knows how long.

Without setting up the table I poured my soup on a wooden bowl and took a seat, the smell fills my nose giving me a lot of expectation while my imagination runs wild with the possible taste and how delicious it is going to be.

"I'm hungry."

But a monotone voice from a certain jinchuuriki stopped me once again from enjoying my well-deserved meal.

Fu took the seat in front of me without me noticing, considering that I wasn't with all my senses on high alert and my entire attention was into eating, it wasn't an impossible feat.

I sighed, there is more after all.

So my bowl was given to her.

"Enjoy."

I am so glad that I prepared a large pot of soup or I might have been left without breakfast.

"This...for me?"

I replied with the same warm smile Naruto is used to.

Even if it was for a second, her eyes flashed a different kind of light but it quickly died out.

Her hand went for the spoon and began to enjoy her newly arrived breakfast.

I was close enough to get a better look at her expression the moment my cooking touched her taste buds, that exact moment the spoon is thrown away and she decided to gulp down everything.

Manners be damned.

It literally took her seconds to finish.

"More?"

She nodded, looking a little more energetic than before.

So complying to her wishes I poured another bowl as soon as possible, and she finished as soon as I served it.

She only kept asking for more food.

And I kept bringing her more.

A vicious cycle.

And the entire pot became empty.

There goes my breakfast.

My delicious and consistent breakfast.

I will remain hungry. But sacrifice has to be made for success!

Yet moments later Fū threw up everything.

She didn't rush to the bathroom or a bucket, even a pot could have worked, she just did it in the middle of the room and fall like a puppet whose strings were cut. And of course she fell on the whole mess, clothes and everything became disgusting to touch, even the smell couldn't be tolerated.

From that point, I started to breathe through my mouth, searched for a couple of cleaning utensil in the kitchen but what I had at my disposal were really simple and not sophisticated at all to deal with really big stains. I couldn't leave her laying on her own mess for a long time for various reasons.

When a drunkard is in the same position it is fun but for a girl is pitiable.

I grab the bucket and fill it to the brim of water which I quickly splashed to the floor, the contents slowly washed the floor from the filth, I did the same thing two more times. Despite the water being cold Fū didn't move or say anything she simply let everything flow around her, perhaps her state of mind didn't let her care about such matter or she was unconscious again.

I left to the bathroom and let the water flow into the bathtub, surprisingly Fū had a fully functional sewer and water systems in the subterranean house, though it isn't that sophisticated, it works and that's all that matters.

Of course, before putting her inside the water she had to get undressed and since she was in that state I had to do it myself, genuinely speaking I had no problems just like I had no problems with Jun.

Since it was me who did all the cleaning I can claim my efficiency is very good and Fū became clean in less than 10 minutes, I wrapped the few towels she had and carried her back to the bed.

Fū didn't show any sign of recovery from her unconscious state, so once again I left to meditate alone; I can go without eating a day without trouble and in case if I truly can't stand being hungry a single food pill will fix the problem.

Everything needed to flow like water, I couldn't force and impose myself in such delicate matter.

When I returned Fū was simply there.

Her gaze lost in the walls.

I couldn't tell that she didn't care about being without clothes or perhaps the mattress was enough to cover her nudity.

"Fū?"

No response.

I took a seat on the bed but keeping my distance from her waiting for any kind of signal while respecting her personal space, after all, she is naked.

Being closer to her could be considered as improper.

And so I waited.

And waited.

"Why?"

Perhaps, because I can become trash?

Hilarious in a twisted way.

"I don't know."

"I thought…"

"Things just happen."

"Am I a bad person?"

She turned to look at me with the same dead eyes than before.

"No, you are a very sweet girl."

"So why?"

"I really don't know."

Ignorance truly is a bliss.

"I...I did nothing wrong so why…"

Fu kept asking the same question and I kept giving the same answer continuing the vicious cycle between us.

But at the end she was correct, she didn't deserve such kind of suffering she had done nothing wrong to anybody even less me.

The cycle repeated itself for who knows how long and I didn't feel the slightest of irritation towards it, priorities set straight.

Instead, she was the one who got fed up.

"URUSAI!"

She snarled while pointing a finger at me.

"Fu..."

She didn't notice but the blanket covering her fell down showing the entire upper body.

"URUSAI!"

She didn't give me time to reply, a pillow was thrown at me which give her enough time to leave the room in haste.

I couldn't leave her alone so my pursuit across the house began.

Anything that she could get ahold was thrown at me with malice, either be harmless objects to dangerous ones.

It wasn't funny.

She avoids me like a plague and every time I managed to get close somehow she was able to throw me away with strength alone from her fist, they did hurt. I could feel my organs move.

Right before she could cross the house entrance my arms restrained her by the waist.

She struggled and even bite my arm to point that that it bleed but I never desisted, I kept my grip on her not allowing her to leave. Sooner or later she would get tired or find reason in her actions, that would be the case for the common person even shinobis, but Fu is a jinchuuriki.

It was a brief moment of bad experiences for her expressed in a violent and wrong manner.

And for me, I felt like a punching bag.

Nothing that I couldn't endure, but that doesn't mean that I didn't feel anything.

It hurts.

I endured to the point that the afflicted parts became swollen and numb, I knew exactly where she hit or kick but there was no response and nothing was felt.

But I endured.

I didn't know how much time passed when she finally decided to stop and cease all resistance.

I lifted her body and carried her in bridal style towards her bed where she could rest.

She didn't say a word to me, neither she looked at me.

Once there she used the blankets to cover herself and resumed her last activity.

It was me who had to break the ice.

"Is the world unfair?"

"Yes."

Honestly, I wish I had the ability to read minds like a Yamanaka and everything would have been far easier.

"Now what?"

"I don't know…"

"Me neither."

"How important was he?"

"A lot…"

As far I could remember and understand Shibuki was like a brother figure to her, a small family which she really cared even if there were slight problems recently that affection didn't dissipate.

"Without Shibuki-nii... what's the point in staying?"

"Don't you have friends in Taki?"

"..."

"Please…"

That's actually sad.

Expected, but hearing directly from her feels different.

"Fū, do you really want to leave?"

"..."

Silence had the answer, simply she couldn't say it for a reason.

"Let me think…"

There is no need to think about a place that she can call home, it has been already decided, but I simply can't name it as the first choice for obvious reasons.

I have to keep appearances.

"What about Iwa?"

She shook her head.

"Then Kiri?"

She turns down my suggestion again.

I left the silence intact.

Together we remained in the same position staring at the walls.

The time flowed.

Who knows how much time we spend together there.

"Can I go to your village?"

"Konoha?"

"I...I want to see everything that you told me, I...I feel that I will be happy there."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded yet giving that confirmation wasn't enough, she had to be convinced; absolutely convinced to make the most important decision for her life. Carefully I lifted her chin so she could directly face me and properly give an answer.

"Are you _SURE_?"

She did have beautiful exotic eyes.

"Yes."

And slowly were filled with the warm grief of a broken heart.

"I'm sorry."

This was a genuine answer coming from me, I didn't regret my deed but I did regret hurting her so bad.

"I'm really sorry…"

And then, the young Jinchuuriki of the seven tails known as Fū finally broke down between my arms.

* * *

AN: Honestly? University was a bitch, I spend a lot of time studying for my finals that I really didn't have time much time to write and if I did, then that time was used to do other things far more relaxing than writing since sometimes I need to rack my brain for a good idea. Then when finals were over I spend a huge amount of time playing Warframe really cool game and everything.

How can I make the separation lines now?

Usually, I do one chapter per month but this got delayed.

Ja ne!


	47. Chapter 48

Disclaimer: Not me, totally not me.

* * *

Days passed and at the end, we asked for an extraction team to ensure absolute safety for the Yamanaka, Jun might have recovered some of her strength but her injuries handicapped her strength by a large margin, I could compare her to a skilled genin at best.

And for me, I did exceed my body limits along with Shin.

Soldier pills and sleepless night and also putting a strong facade in front of a ddepressedJinchuuriki, all of that could pile up on my body.

When they arrived they took the three remaining members and left me behind as I requested, I was going to leave with Fu and accompany her the one entire journey to Konoha. But before that, sleep for an entire day in FFu'shouse.

However, it was a silent and heavy journey.

And for the sleeping arrangements much to my dismay she refused to sleep alone, and every time I tried to she would appear right next to clinging like a scared cat. She brought a nostalgic feeling to my heart and I couldn't lie, I really liked to sleep with the company. Besides, it was only between us and nobody else to witness the act, but it has to stop when we reached Konoha; Naruto would murder her if not.

A bit of an exaggeration but she would definitely do something rash.

Silence and hugs.

Best way to summarize my trip.

In a matter of days, we finally arrived at the outskirts of Konoha, while it had never been a problem to pass the gate, I didn't expect much of a hassle despite I was bringing a foreign. Proving my point the chunins only made me fill a document and had me wait for an Anbu to escort us to the Hokage tower who definitely had been informed about my arrival with an unexpected companion.

Perhaps my relations allowed such an easy entrance and meeting, but that was something to think about for another time.

The street looked lively as ever and everybody was minding their own business, we technically remained unnoticed until we reached the tower. Going through the typical process and confirming our arrival we finally were in front of the Hokage.

Hiruzen didn't speak with me or inquired about the details about the mission, not that it bothered me, actually, I was glad that I didn't need to speak a single thing, besides I can't report to him and never will unless is a mission which had been assigned by him.

Since there will be a lot of stuff to do I will have to report to Danzo at night.

It wasn't a long and tedious talk between the two but more like a small interrogation from his part, Fu from her part was fidgeting on her seat the entire time. For some odd reason, I found her antics adorable.

"So Fu, correct?"

"Y-yes…"

"Do you want to join Konoha?"

"Yes."

"And do you know all the process that one must go through before a foreign ninja can join our ranks?"

"Kichiro-kun explained to me."

"Very well, from today onwards you will on a probation period and will be under Kichiro's care. But before signing your documents I need to speak with Kichiro alone."

That was surprisingly quick, I expected to spend more than an hour hearing a long conversation and other things before she could be put in the probation period. Or maybe she was a special case and was given such benefit, who knows?

Either way, I was glad that it was quick so I could focus my attention in other things which I wanted to do before calling it a day, like buying and preparing a big dinner for everybody or check my mail; I was hoping that Haku already finished her task with positive results.

I really wanted to spread happiness to the world and bring joy to those who were depressed, and fill my pockets with the result.

"Thank you."

And so Fu stood up and properly bowed in respect before leaving the room. And so we were alone relatively speaking, of course, his personal Anbu would never leave his side after all.

"Honestly Kichiro-kun, you really know how to make things difficult for me sometimes even more than Naruto-chan."

"Is really that bad?"

"Is not bad, but difficult. I believe you are aware of how different and influential is a Jinchuuriki, aren't you?"

Both political and military speaking, with Konoha having two jinchuurikis can send into a frenzy the rest of the villages despite they have 2 jinchuurikis, however power wise those bijuu are weaker in comparison to Kurama and Chomei.

"I do Hokage-sama."

"I'm already visualizing all the talks and diplomatic envoys demanding explanations and possible threats."

Me as well, but Hiruzen is totally capable to handle those affairs. Danzo wouldn't have given me such mission if that wasn't the case to begin with. And I don't have to deal with that complicated stuff, at least not yet.

I wish I could get involved to learn as much as possible even if I'm only a spectator, it would boost my knowledge and cards for the future.

"I only follow orders Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen raised his hand and inhaled his pipe.

"I understand and I don't blame you. We are already old but we will never stop protecting Konoha until our last breath. Since you will be taking care of her in the meantime you will be given an allowance to cover all of her expenses."

What a great resolution from his part but there were a couple of thing regarding such resolve, but future me will worry about them and with the butterfly effect I had no idea if such resolution would actually be put under test in a couple of months.

"My only worry is how Naruto will take this."

And he had to bring a topic that I was avoiding, I really didn't want to deal with that stuff at the moment honestly speaking. I had thought in a speech to convince her but first I would be forced to hear her angry words first.

"EXCUSE ME?!" Speaking of the devil.

What shitty luck.

"My guess, not very good."

Both of us directed our attention to the door or what was going to come through that door, an evil force was stomping its way ready to blast the door into pieces or who knows? Girls are beyond our area of expertise after all.

"OJI-SAN!"

And without the slightest care or respect, the door had been kicked open destroying the door lock, impressive show of strength for twelve years old if I might add.

"AND ONI-CHAN?!"

Without any doubt, Naruto was surprised to find me, or shocked either worked. Though looking at her, I did notice her hair was completely different than it was weeks ago. She no longer had the pigtails on her, rather she only had a really long ponytail, it was odd in my opinion since I had been accustomed to her old style for years.

"I assume you've met Fu, right?" Stating the obvious to such obvious position and problem, honestly, there are many options to defuse the situation but I couldn't always spend myself over thinking and planning to the minimal detail.

Naruto became red and grabbed one of the door pieces scattered all over the floor and threw it at me as if it was a real kunai.

But since it wasn't a real weapon it fell down before it could actually reach me.

"Baka!"

And she stormed out from the room fuming the obvious discontent.

"That was unexpected," Hiruzen stated before resuming the use of his pipe.

"Actually I expected more but I need to go after her before she does something stupid." Well she is having a jealousy fit like it happened with Jun and the results weren't exactly pleasant, and even more that it was uncalled to react in such manner after talking for hours with Hiruzen about the topic.

"Go ahead."

I didn't waste more time and began my pursuit on the angry little sister once again, but with the difference that I was going to ask for directions to find her faster.

Without a doubt it was her team who weren't exactly surprised by her antics, Kakashi reading his book as always, Sasuke being annoyed and Sai remaining with that dead smile of his.

"She left through the window." Sai is such a great kohai, a reward is in order!

But that will have to wait for another occasion since a mischievous little fox is on the loose, though I'm surprised that Naruto used a window to get away but not an open but closed; destroying it in the process, my hopes lie within the possibility that I will not be charged for property damage.

"Thanks."

Leaving the Hokage Tower and position myself right in the middle of the street, I could finally start my search for the angry little sister. However thanks to my deep perception I could spot a small silhouette right at the top of the Hokage monument.

The third Hokage to be exact.

Whenever she felt angry or overcome with negative feelings she would try to calm herself in the same place, it was her little sanctuary. And she was right there looking at the panoramic view of the village and its vast forest, but I wasn't given time to appreciate the view before she rushed at me and start her onslaught of kicks and punches, they didn't hurt at all.

"Baka! I was worried and-and you...BAKA!"

Usually there are many ways that I thought of to deal with her antics, some being more effective than the others but at the moment I didn't follow any of those, first, she needed to let everything out before I could continue.

"Honestly this was totally unexpected, never in my wildest dream I thought I would bring a girl home." A calculated and intended provocation towards her short temperament, like a small spark to lit the bomb.

"BAKABAKABAKA!" Suddenly I felt I bit regretful after watching her react way worse than I anticipated. "Just Die!"

And her attacks actually started to hurt, and the strength behind them gradually increased. Best comparison was like being thrown a pillow before changing into a rock.

Should I laugh or cry that I created a tsundere?

Or perhaps I created something even worse?

"Ouch, stop it! I will be serious!" I had to stop her, or she would actually leave a bruise on me even if it could be healed the pain that it could cause wasn't worth it. Also, I had been thinking about straightening her up, her attitude is truly bad.

But I wanted her to become like that as well, quite the dilemma on my hands.

Was I in the wrong?

My hands restrained hers and as the obvious response she struggles to break free and resume her antics, of course, I wasn't going to let her until she calmed down, at least a little.

One thing to take note, I didn't feel anything coming from her not even a miserable amount of KI. Not like I believed that she would think about killing me but her attitude made me analyze her in depth along with her current feelings which possibly became clouded and overcome with anger but there was nothing.

It was strange.

Even more with a Bijuu inside her belly.

But as many known, the seal made with the Shinigami is considered the perfect seal for Bijuus and hers was locked with a key.

With I gave her some freedom before forcibly lifting her petite body much to her disapproval, kicking and screaming I walked to our favorite Hokage head and took seat taking a second to look at the scenery below me.

Only then I placed Naruto next to me who looked really pissed at me.

I need to write the pros and cons of a possessive little sister.

The cute factor no longer counts by the way.

"Who is she?"

"Fu, only Fu."

"Why is she here?"

"She wanted to join Konoha after Taki experienced a couple of unexpected things." Many that were caused by my own hand and words, technically speaking I destroyed the future of a hidden village for many generations. An amazing feat worthy to become infamous around the world and be written down in the Bingo books.

And Naruto who remained clueless became surprised at my limited revelation.

"What? What happened to Taki?"

I merely sighed in defeat.

"Honestly I can't tell you anything, but what I can say is that the mission was a success but more like a victory with a taste of defeat."

"What about Shibuki?"

I could see her worry in her eyes, what a pitiful look for a girl like her.

The only comfort was to give her an even tighter warm hug.

"One can only regret but not change the past."

Naruto just buried her head on my chest for a while.

In the meantime, I pondered about my own words.

There is truth in them.

We can only regret ad nothing more however, I held absolutely no regret in my decision to get rid of Shibuki besides I was extremely happy about it; much to my dismay. Also, a plus on such action was to get the Hero's water even if it was given to the extraction team, I kept a tiny amount with me.

"I hope that you can understand Fu's situation a little better, without Shibuki she has absolutely nothing. She is alone, and I couldn't just sit there and do nothing. You wouldn't have forgiven me if I did that."

"But this...I...you are right."

Fu's grief perhaps helped her to realize the fragility of life, but Naruto was still confused about how to feel and do.

However, in my case, I had to give her space and time for her to think alone.

So I walked away.

But never left the place, I was waiting for her to realize, to understand.

* * *

I found myself playing with a coin, a gamble know and the coin flipping which had fifty percent of winning or losing. The idea just came to my mind to pass the time, but in a way, I believed that it would make me look cooler, but it was entertaining to do anyway.

"Onii-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Is Fu like me?"

I flinched, never I expected her to ask me that particular question. And I just couldn't respond with a short answer it would waste the entire reason for her to reason.

Or that's what I saying to myself, I have no experience and no actual knowledge about psychological stuff. And perhaps I just make up stuff according to what I believe is the correct way to handle problems.

Sometimes I overcomplicate myself.

"Naruto, in what way exactly?"

"What I've accepted."

Those words created a slight reaction on my part, my heart ached a little. Her words were true yet she hated the reality she had to accept in order to resume with her life.

The complexity made me sigh again and sit right where I stood.

"In a cold way you are entirely correct but for her, I just don't know how to explain it, emotions are the most powerful thing against a Jinchuuriki and a loss of such caliber can tell you a lot of the outcome. It wasn't easy, some parts are still sore and my organs don't feel like they are in the correct place."

"What do you mean?"

She became perplexed of course it was an indirect way to speak but I liked to keep talking more and more just for the sake of it, not every day I had the opportunity to just sit somewhere and freely speak.

"Well, in a way you could say I stood up against a Jinchuuriki in a frenzied state."

"You fought?!"

"Technically."

She brought my face closer to her for a better look, not like it could help with a body check up but I let her do her thing. Though I would have preferred that she did nothing and let me continue with my butchered and censored tale.

"Are you okay?!"

"Not one hundred percent okay, but okay nevertheless." Konoha medics have yet to remove all the scars, bruises and probably the wrongly placed bones on me.

"Baka." After acting like the typical tsundere she pulled me closer, well only my head to her chest and it was a bit uncomfortable since I was taller than her.

"A victory is a victory, don't you think?"

"She's obviously up to no good."

I frowned, Hiruzen spoke with her for a long time. She can't just come and tell me that she forgot everything as if she heard from one side and left through the other.

Even more, I expected her to understand, if not all the time I gave her to think was in vain.

"Naruto, are you really that petty?"

"Who are you calling petty?!"

My stomach became the target to her weak assault, but I quickly stopped her. There is a limit to everything, a for me it was time to draw the line. She had to give me the respect I deserve before it was fun but later it becomes increasingly annoying.

"Calm down, I don't want you to make a scene, even if there is nobody around." I grabbed one of her arms and forcibly pulled her down to sit next to me.

Naruto didn't say anything at first but her face distorted into realization and then regret.

"I'm sorry, you are right."

And like that silence reigned between us as we looked at the village bathed in the sunlight.

If only it wasn't a morning with a powerful and radiating sun if the sun could be nearing the horizon it could have created a great scenery worthy to be immortalized in a picture.

Sadly it would only be that, my imagination.

Just like the ideal sister, spoiling a little girl would only create a lot of unnecessary problems in the long run. Naruto seems to be the perfect example, I guess it could be said that I wouldn't be a great father in a very distant future.

But is a risk and regret which I wish and need to carry on, for the sake of my dream.

"By the way Onii-chan."

"Yes, my cute Naruto?"

"Who is Haku?"

Well, Fuck.

Kimimaro you've failed me!

"Well, she is...ITAI!"

And that's how Naruto finally found out about Haku and she being my loyal FEMALE servant, in consequence, she decided to leave very noticeable _'hickeys'_ all over my arm.


	48. Chapter 49

Disclaimer: Literally running out of ideas of what to put here LOL.

Life didn't return to normal.

Things became rather interesting now that Fu started to live with us.

Kimimaro had to sleep on the couch since there wasn't another guest room, even if he didn't mind I do mind a lot. He is my loyal servant and he holds a high position regarding others, even Naruto didn't like the idea but as the kind souls we are, we accepted it anyway.

Daily lives activities didn't change much expect that there was another one with us, so I cooked for four and received compliments from four.

However, things became rather anticlimactic when Fu tried to sleep next to me.

It didn't go unnoticed by the other jinchuuriki and so she also found out how clingy Fu is, at first she tolerated it very well but since it happened a lot she couldn't stop herself and a lot of disdain and negative feelings radiated from her. Not Killing intent but her feelings were thick, making the atmosphere heavy.

If I could feel the change then Fu could feel it as well.

In less than a week Fu understood the message and stopped altogether.

Honestly, I felt a bit sad, but it quickly disappeared, after all, I had other things to attend to and pay attention.

Like Haku's letter.

I was happy to know that she was able to find and gather a good amount of cannabis, though I was surprised as well that she did find the plant, and there was even more left for harvest.

She also told me how Wave's situation was improving and Tazuna being a good leader.

In my opinion that was the least that drunkard could do to repay me, but putting those thoughts aside Haku did a good job.

But before I could request for more I had to use it first, I had no idea how to make a cigarette and I had doubts that it was as simple as drying the plant and then stuffing it inside a paper roll, besides it would give bad aspect to potential customers and I wanted it to look professional.

Asking around led me to one of the workshops.

The shop was a bit far from home and the district wasn't exactly decent, dirty yes but not like the slums so passable to some degree. However, the strong smell did hit my nose hard, cigarettes alone were a mild annoyance but when it was highly concentrated in a single place breathing was a bit difficult without coughing.

Entering without knocking earned me hard glares from the workers for a moment but kept working nevertheless, except for one who cleaned his bearded face with a rag and demanding for an explanation.

He was the one in charge of the small workshop, and for his robust physique, I could deduce he did all the heavy lifting around.

In less than an hour I explained everything and since I was paying he didn't complain, he just took the money and the bag. Another good chunk of my parents' life saving was gone in an instant, I felt conflicted reading for some reason; their hard earned money used so casually by me as if it didn't have any meaning yet I knew that money existed to spend and I wasn't wasting it but investing it.

I was quite excited to see the results and my pockets filled.

"One week."

But his words shattered my optimistic imagination.

"But that's too much." Not too much, it was clear laziness on his part. However, the bearded guy only looked at me with disinterest as if I was nothing in front of his eyes and that truly irked me.

I deserve respect.

But for the moment I will swallow back my pride.

"I have a quota to meet, I cannot just focus my entire production in a few customized cigarettes." With his stupid argument said he returned to his post and the production moved on.

I wanted to say something but I kept quiet, it wasn't worth my breath.

With my mood totally ruined I left through the door.

If I could somehow force that guy to do my bidding, things would be far simpler yet I didn't have a Sharingan to abuse and I couldn't just use my strength or I would get in trouble with the Anbu.

I could only patiently wait.

But when I checked my wallet I simply knew that being patient and do nothing weren't related at all, I needed money, lots of it. And I just couldn't take Naruto's for many reasons regarding my reputation.

It left me thinking about doing a couple of D-rank missions but 'borrowing' from the civilians was a good alternative yet I hesitated to follow that plan.

I wasn't getting cold feet but the Anbu did take notice of my actions and Kakashi was very clear about it. Taking some liberties is fine but there is a limit to everything and I had reached said limit either I stop for a long while or I face the consequences.

Kicking the ground didn't seem to alleviate my frustration.

Perhaps destroying something could do the trick.

"Kichiro." I knew the owner of such a deep and raspy voice, yet I was surprised to see her without her goggles on or her coat.

She was dressing like Sai and Shin, one could let the imagination enjoy itself until hearing her voice, truly a mood killer.

Even If I only had her around for a couple of months I was accustomed to her wearing a lot of clothes so light clothing was very odd but I didn't bother to ask.

Everybody has their own reasons just like me.

"Jun? What brings you here?"

"You are being called."

I frowned in discontented but I didn't voice it.

"I see, lead the way."

Jun looked at me for a moment but sighed before grabbing my hand while the other performed a hand sign which took me along in her shunsin.

Despite not being nighttime a forest could be dark if no light penetrates the layer upon layers of trees, but minors details didn't have much relevance.

Jun sometimes confuses me but also interest me despite her original intentions.

Every time I looked at her stoic appearance made me think back to the recent past, but no words came out I lacked the words or perhaps another thing to actually ask her.

I wasn't a coward but there was something holding me back.

Just like her, I let out a sigh for my frustrations.

Together we embarked on a silent journey to the darkness.

"Danzo-sama I have arrived with Kichiro, as you ordered," Jun announced our arrival as she opened the door to our old meeting room.

The same room from years ago.

And the same cushion as the little table.

Memories and nostalgia.

"Take a seat, boy."

I complied but he didn't give me time to accommodate before throwing at me a stack of files right in front of me.

I felt the need to voice my discontent but I refrained from doing so, at the end I wasn't one hundred percent sure if those files contained information regarding another mission for me.

I looked at the stoic form of the old man for a moment before turning my attention to the files.

I open the first one.

It's Kiba Inuzuka profile.

I frown in confusion because it is odd that Danzo would give me information which I already knew, but I am aware that there is always a reason behind his actions.

So I read.

And a picture fell.

One look was enough to get my full attention.

After all, a grotesque picture always brings attention.

A human porcupine next to a mutilated puppy.

It felt odd.

But my heart began to beat faster.

I slowly put down his profile.

And proceeded with another file.

Shino Aburame.

He and his entire hive turned into roasted meat beyond recognition.

I felt a bit cold, but not cold enough to stop checking the rest.

Next one, Kurenai Yuhi.

Literally, lumps of meats scattered all over the ground.

My breaths lost synchronization, and the cold sweat was freezing my body.

My trembling hand got the final file.

And Hinata Hyuga.

Only two empty sockets stared back at me.

What.

The.

FUCK?!

AN: You know what? Screw everything, I'm changing this to M rated like I originally intended, like this, I will have no chains holding me back in writing and fix a few things from the older chapters.

Don't forget to leave your fav and follow along with a review! They are addictive u know?!


	49. Chapter 50

_**Disclaimer: Oh no! I realized many years ago that I don't own the rights of Naruto!**_

* * *

Hospitals exist to save people lives, but they are devoid of beauty as hope. Sometimes is difficult to tell if you will leave that place and forget about the cream walls, not peeling or dirty, just cream. And the lack of decorations except for the small portrait of an imaginary yet perfect landscape. Perhaps the intentions are good to promote hope to the patients but only works for those who can actually see.

There are a stands for intravenous drip and monitors, all connected to a single person who shouldn't be alive yet the beeping sound tells me otherwise.

Seeing is believing.

Hinata Hyuuga is right in front of me breathing and alive, but for a Hyuuga, blindness is practically dead.

However, for a member of the main house blindness is a temporary state, the Branch house is forever bounded to be their servants to the end of times after all.

"You can stay if you want."

"Thank you very much Kichiro-sama."

At the far end where the windows are he took a seat and watched the outside world lost in his own train of thoughts, his enigmatic yet loyal nature difficult to see through by an outsider, he explained how Hinata had been kind to him in the past and he must repay that kindness.

I understood very well, before leaving the room filled with dread I left my flowers next to the rest, a formality more than anything.

Hospitals are odd, they become completely different when there is somebody you actually care hospitalized.

But how could Hinata survive?

It worries me.

It truly worries me.

Somebody's out there and I don't who it is or the motives behind such unreasonable action unless that person is unrelated to the attack and just saved her life, for what?

I hate such unknown variation much more than the divergence that just occurred resulting in a funeral which I didn't assist, a funeral with no bodies to bury.

An unexpected surprise which doesn't heavily affect me or what I have written down, but for Naruto, it was a very low blow.

Being locked up in her own room not even allowing me or anything to enter, it had been a day.

Fu, on the other hand, was outside doing her best but with such a terrible event befalling on Konoha, all her efforts were in vain leaving no other option but to stick close to me and returning to her clingy habits.

At least until Naruto recovered.

Walking to one shop only to look and there go to food stand just to look and just walking on the streets until I arrived at my apartment.

Fu was sitting at the window border looking at the blue sky, her attention turned to me for a moment before looking back at the sky.

I didn't say anything to her.

In the kitchen I took a drink from the refrigerator and an apple from the basket fruit, just thinking everything regarding Hinata's situation made me anxious and anxiety brought hunger.

Only hearing myself eating felt rather uncomfortable, with so many living with me I imagined a place filled with laughter and cheers, not a completely silent and empty table. I thought of so many scenarios playing in my head, but the lonely scenario became the harsh reality.

Those idiots.

Dying so easily to a no name.

Ruining everything that I have written down.

Useless!

Useless all of them!

But I guess there wouldn't be any thrill if everything went according to the script, in a way the anxiety, the mystery that it brought could become an exciting experience. Besides every divergence open so many paths, my curiosity itched to discover all the new paths that had been opened just for me. However, I consider it a one-time thing, another divergence will not be welcomed rather it would bring me a headache.

As if Naruto wasn't a headache on her own.

Thinking about her, I should try to talk again even if does not bear any fruit I need to try.

Leaving the table everything clean I left the kitchen and with heavy steps, I headed towards my task as an elder brother.

But her door was locked.

"Naruto?"

But there was no reply.

I tried a few more times but to no avail, leaning closer to catch anything but there was only silence coming from the other side,I could remember very well the exact moment when I told the news and how her face twisted learning the death of those, the pain, the rejection, and the acceptance all of that lead her to run away and lock all access to her room, it was useless since any of us could just bring down the door but we respected her privacy as we should do but for me it felt completely different, I understood her in many aspects and the call was to just kick and destroy the door that was diving us but I had many doubts. Not a single word directed at anybody, not even me and that fact alone made my heart ache.

"Friends, family, lovers, all of them are close to your heart and your heart delivers love and accept their love, that I understand. When those bonds are forcefully ripped apart it will cause such pain that creates fear for the future. Now it was friends, but tomorrow might be family…"

Somehow I ended up sitting next to the door.

"Is hard I know, I lived through that many times that I slowly become accustomed to it...it might sound horrible but it's the truth my heart became cold and is very difficult for me to comprehend you now. But you are not alone, you don't need to go through this alone, so please let me in."

I knocked on the door three more times.

"Let me help you."

I waited.

Anything.

Silence.

She never let me in.

"I see...sleep early Naruto, tomorrow you need to train with your team after all"

Perhaps I should have kicked the door.

Perhaps I should have been more aggressive with my approach.

Perhaps I shouldn't have left.

But I did it anyway.

Is hard to understand, not even me can understand why I do certain things which I clearly wouldn't do without a specific reason and that is a concern.

Emotions are quite interesting to think about, they fascinate me and terrify me at the same time, perhaps what I'm experiencing is the reason those fickle things should be suppressed, why the mask exist.

But I can conclude that everything, absolutely everything related to me thanks to that bunch of trash, their fault. It's their fault Naruto doesn't want to speak with me...ME! The thought alone makes me wish for them to return back so I can send them back with my bare hands!

Even if they suffered a tragic death, is not enough to cool me down!

I need rest.

I need to clear my mind.

To my personal sanctuary, my bedroom where my comfy bed awaits me along with soft sheets and a fluffy pillow. Arriving there and laying on it end my entire mind to a moment for relaxation, to refresh myself just what I needed.

After all, I was going overboard with my emotions and I was known to control them very well or maybe I never did control them and put up a facade to convince myself.

So many things to think about that I spaced out.

I did a lot of things before finding myself in my personal sanctuary, known as the bedroom, laying on my bed with a very tired Fu snuggling next to me.

It might not be the same but is everything I have.

"Promise me that you won't leave me."

Those cursed words.

I know myself very well.

And a promise had already been done.

I have limits but...

"I will try my best."

Sigh.

Kichiro.

What are you getting into?

* * *

 _ **AN: Hinata is still alive sue me.**_

 _ **Alright** ** _,_ jokes asides I have other plans for her in the future so dying too early is not in the agenda.**_

 _ **Also, thanks all of you for helping me reach 300 favs and closing to 400 follows, it feeds my writer ego but nothing feeds more than reviews, so don't forget to leave one if you want to criticise or praise LOL.**_

 _ **Ja ne!**_


	50. Chapter 51

**Disclaimer: Feel the wrath of COPYRIGHT!**

* * *

There are many days that pass unnoticed like any other common day of our lives, is not a bad thing and certainly, they are great in their own right yet common in a world such a the Elemental Nations, especially for shinobis like me, common civilian days shouldn't be a habit.

Enough reason for find myself in a complete in a terrain which resembles a genuine battlefield, big chunks of earth missing and trees cut down by sheer force. It is a good thing that we don't cover the costs to repair the training grounds or the damage reparations probably would have left us with a debt for the rest of our miserable lives.

If one is to judge then the first response of such scenery would be Tsunade since she is known for her unbelievable strength, a single finger is enough to destroy a house after all. But in reality Naruto learned how to properly use the little Fox chakra she has access to, I don't supervise her training and I only hear a vague description of what she does in her sessions from outer sources.

She is truly overpowered.

But she still lacks cunningness.

My trait which turned the whole thing into my favor and resulting with a pissed Naruto completely restrained upside down.

Cheating or not I won against her again.

"Let me go!"

Without any doubt, I used my reinforced chakra strings to prevent her to move or do anything reckless and giving me time for my well-deserved rest ignoring all her cries and rain of curses towards me, with so many holes and softened earth improvising a bed was a very simple task.

The only problem was the sun since a few trees were completely destroyed in the whole confrontation thing, still, I laid on my improvised bed and looked straight to the clouds in the sky while musing a merry tune.

All set for a good nap.

But, there is always a _'but'_.

Without noticing a hand grabbed my collar and threw me from my comfy spot like a pillow sending me flying and crashing against a tree.

I was coughing saliva by the sheer force of the impact.

But I wasn't given time to catch a breath before another force immediately put me on the ground.

Without a doubt Naruto was on top of me, she freed herself.

In my mind such a thing was impossible, I had full confidence in my strings ability to restrain people and shinobis would have a very difficult time to break free from them without me noticing the influx of chakra, unless they had fire affinity or knew how to manipulate fire and could deduce my technique then they could easily render them completely useless, like Kakashi did.

Of course, for her special condition, such feat was involuntary but very possible after all the Kyuubi chakra is practically fire.

I could still think many other reasons of her being able to break free but having her right on top of me raining a barrage of Kyuubi enhanced fists on my whole being isn't exactly a good condition for deep thinking.

If I wasn't using my arms for protection then probably she would have knocked out a tooth or two, well if she actually had the intention to cause real harm but at her current emotional state that can be put up for debate.

Within the small time frame of each hit I was able to concentrate enough my chakra and allow the earth to completely swallow my body, Naruto cursed out loud her frustration.

Temporarily safe from her rage my mind worked in another plan.

That was supposed to happen until she destroyed my safety like before, exposing me in the process who was given no time before she clashed against my stomach knocking my air.

But my patience ran out with her antics, and my memories of all the stupid stuff she had done causing direct consequences on me filled with renewed determination. The idea, the finisher came in the nick of time.

Since my gloves hadn't been burned giving me another chance to create another set of strings to help me in restraining her once again.

Yet our close proximity left me open for more strikes and much to my luck she sent me a kick on my stomach. Ignoring the pain my plan was set to work, every single second was precious.

Enhancing my strength along with my strong ai forcefully moved her body to a critical position for my master plan, her entire weight rested on my shoulder while I grabbed her ankles to keep her in place.

All my strings tied her to my body.

Even with clothes, she was radiating a lot of heat from her skin, but it didn't matter because I was right in time, gravity started to do its work by pulling us down to the ground.

It might hurt but my training and pain tolerance isn't something to laugh at.

 **"KINNIKU BUSTER!"**

PAIN TOLERANCE MY **_ASS_**!

* * *

Pretty much the whole confrontation left both of us fucked up with the exception that Naruto who healed way faster than me was able to stand up in an hour and another confrontation started between us but it was a verbal one which I won as expected. Only then she dragged my sorry ass to the hospital with the help of her clones.

One relative long session and relative surgery later at the hospital my body was back at its top condition ready for another battle so without anything else to do in that depressing place I left through the exit, after another quick visit on Hinata's room leaving, in the streets a mint haired girl with exotic orange eyes was waiting for me.

"Are you okay?" She was looking for anything wrong on me.

"Technically speaking yes, my body doesn't hurt that much and everything seems to be returning to normal…" Naruto finally opened up to me. "In other words, you should stop at least for a while."

Gently I moved away from her hands.

"Oh…"

Only to tickle her tummy, making her blush in embarrassment while she squirmed around my playful hands.

"Though I don't mind being all clingy and touchy with a cute girl."

I saw her eyes widen and pushed me away.

"Don't say it like that! People can hear us!" I deserved that jab on my arm, but it didn't hurt at all compared to the painful cracking of my vertebrae or my tailbone after pulling off my last stupid stunt.

However, she is right people actually heard my words.

"Anyways! I need some help to carry the groceries, today is pizza." Thinking of the list of ingredients my next destination was the market district hopefully somebody will have a discount.

"Great! But isn't Kimimaro help you with that stuff?" Fu was quick to follow my lead and walk to my side.

"Yes but he is currently training and I doubt we will see him until night."

Fu looks around before stopping on her tracks for a brief moment only to return to my side.

"And Naruto?"

I shrugged.

"She is currently accompanying Hinata at the Hospital." A little too late for a visit but better late than never, either way, the happy and cheery Naruto would return home.

Fu looked at me but just like me she shrugged dismissing everything as common which it is.

In the meantime, the happy and aloof Fu returned to keep me company and entertained, after all, she loves to play around. Though it feels a bit embarrassing when all the eyes are on us, balancing her weight on ropes kind of bring a lot of attention.

"Look! A Dango stand!" Spotting those famous stands from her highpoint I looked at the direction she was pointing, I thought for a moment but since she is such a great girl; she deserves a treat.

"Sure, but only one." I threw a coin at her which she quickly grabbed as she jumped down from her spot.

"Awesome!"

She was quick on her feet to get there and order her sweets while I remained behind watching with a smile, so many things I wish but few might become reality even if I intervene but I cherish the little pleasure that life gives.

But life also has small unpleasant moments.

"Why are you here Jun?"

Turning around to face my teammate, however, when looking at her the unpleasant moments became a moment for surprises. Jun once again surprised me by wearing a long pink yukata, wooden sandals and her hair tied in a small bun, such thing felt so out of context, especially in a ninja village and a kunoichi of her caliber and type.

But her new appearance reminded me of Haku.

"I don't know how to spend my free time." But her rough voice really threw everything down to the drain, while I have confidence in fixing that little detail I'm not willing to spend money on her. "I have been given time to rest, despite I'm fully capable to perform another mission."

"Don't you like to tend your garden?"

Her file said that her hobby is gardening.

"My garden has died, there is nothing left to do at the headquarters."

Her flat response left me a bit awkward but curious of how her garden died out in the care of a capable person.

"Training?"

"I've finished my routine."

Not all agents strive to improve and breakthrough in their career and Jun is one of them, being a low jounin is enough.

"You are usually busy why you are free?"

"I don't know."

I was scratching my head in confusion.

Danzo little mind games once again, whatever he is up to is very difficult to see through. But is odd to seeking advice or help from me, a Yamanaka is capable to do a better job than me. With all the information I didn't notice Fu coming back and stood in front of us showing curiosity towards Jun.

"Hey Kichiro, who is she?"

I looked at Jun but she closed her eyes which honestly doesn't tell me much. Besides a meeting between them never crossed my mind so the only quick response is the standard one.

"Fu, meet Jun, an old teammate of mine."

"A pleasure." And she bowed, which is really odd.

The only time I see other bowing was when meeting with the Hokage or the Daymo.

"Ano...likewise?" Fu also didn't know how to give a proper response which was not surprising at all.

Jun another social inept but at least in a lesser degree than Sai, there had to be a reason why she has been marked as a field and interrogation shinobi in her file.

The silence between is turned so awkward with just one sentence, neat.

"She is currently free so she decided to come for a chat."

"Oh, then she can come to eat with us!" She caught me off the guard with that easy going and friendly attitude, but it was nice to see her warm smile again.

Unlike Jun who seemed rather perplexed to the sudden offer.

"I guess?"

"Thank you."

"Whatever, come on I need to buy even more ingredients" Another mouth to feed for tonight, not like I mind cooking for another person and showing how great my cooking is but the price of the whole meal will increase. The economic responsibility really is a hassle that gives me a lot of stress every day.

I deserve a massage!

But thinking it better, It would be the first time one of my actual teammates shared a meal with me outside of missions or with the rest of my...family I guess?

However she didn't betray my expectation, Jun proved to be a terrible conversation partner again, leaving Fu in awkward silence for the rest of shopping or at least until she decided to only talk to me.

* * *

After an approximately an hour and a half our food was ready.

"And two familiar size pizza ready to serve."

"Amazing!"

"I want to eat!"

No napkins or chopsticks or spoon or whatever utensil to eat, they literally wanted to jump at the chance and eat with bare hands and stuff the food inside their mouths.

I stopped both energetic girls before they had the chance to devour the entire thing, first things first and Kimimaro deserved his own slice of pizza, two slices to be fair. Also since we had a guest they should at least show some sort of manners in front of others.

And my favorite part was to tease them a little while I took my sweet time in slicing the pizza. Fu was very closely watching my movement anxiously waiting for me to finish while Naruto almost looked like she was shamelessly salivating, Jun, on the other hand, looked interested with the concept of pizza.

Meanwhile I was laughing on the inside, since I wasn't a complete sadistic person I decided to speed up the process.

"Go ahead."

"Itadakimasu!"

Naruto went to the right while Fuu's attention went to the left sharing with Jun who carefully took out one of the slices avoiding the voracious appetite of the Mint haired girl. In my case, I flicked Naruto's forehead and took my share before she could raise any complaints.

It had been quite a while since our home had such a warm scene where nothing mattered except us.

That until Naruto finished her pizza and tried to take from Fu's, forcing me to step in but still end up in more laughs except for Jun who stared at us with the same blank expression she always wore.

As the universal rules dictate both girls had to wash the dishes since I cooked both staying at the kitchen while Jun slowly made her way to the door. Of course, as a good host, my duty is to accompany my guest to the exit and send them off.

"I must return to the headquarters but I'm thankful of your hospitality."

I rubbed my head awkwardly, is difficult to understand the more I think about it.

"Yeah about that, don't expect this to be a common thing. You were quite lucky that Fu asked you to come."

The same blank expression looked straight to me, it felt uncomfortable to be stared so close and such way but thankfully she turned away.

"I understand." Rather than disappearing with a shunsin or jumping off the ledge she slowly walked down the stairs.

For one second, only for one, I asked myself, was she sad?

It didn't matter, the truth is harsh and honestly, I didn't want her around Naruto much less Fu as long as I remained ignorant to the true intentions.

But I probably could have said something different with the same intentions, as ever the past is the past and cannot be undone hopefully she will not take it at heart.

As if that truly matters.

"Kichiro-sama."

Only one person called me that and I was pleased to see Kimaro back, even if it is for a day not having my loyal right-hand to my side makes me feel incomplete, is an emotional attachment one could say but is the truth.

"Oh you've arrived, I've saved some pizza for you."

"Thank you for your kindness but first I need to inform you that I've retrieved your order from the workshop."

"Thank you, I didn't expect that they would finish it a day earlier." I grabbed the bag and gave a quick look to the inside before pulling out a single cigarette for a personal inspection but kinda pointless since I have no knowledge regardings drugs. "They seem good enough, but…Did they used all of it?"

Kimimaro was caught off the guard with my question if his surprised expression was any indication, he lowered his head in shame.

"I didn't ask...I apologize for my incompetence."

But I wasn't mad at all, with a smile I patted his head.

"Don't be, you aren't an all-knowing being. And it doesn't matter that much to me, I always think on the bigger scene you know?" Besides, I wouldn't care in the slightest if he ever commits a mistake in the future unless he fucks up really bad which knowing his character is practically impossible for such outcome to ever happen.

"I understand, Kichiro-sama."

I dismissed him to enter the apartment while I remained outside for a moment pondering by myself in potential solutions and ways to market my new product.

"I need people to test this…and I know exactly where I can find them." I'm amazed by the fact that probably I'm one of the lucky few who has such liberties when to leave the village without issue or the fact how excited I am to test the cannabis on people.

Double standards or lack of morals whatever reason didn't seem to explain myself very well even less of what I had in mind to do once there, nobody would understand the meaning behind the list with a single item in it which I hastily wrote as I went inside.

"Kimimaro, pack supplies for a week and after you finish go and buy this medicine."

It is very important for him to get that medicine, really important.

"At once!" As ever he rushed to carry on my orders.

And for me, the bag went inside a storage scroll since nobody should know of its existence yet. Suddenly I felt like drinking tea, but with Kimimaro busy packing our stuff nobody else was available to prepare one for me, Naruto and Fu don't count since I could tell from a mile away that they would do a terrible job.

Leaving only me to prepare the tea at the kitchen which was clean, both girls did a good job.

I took a seat at the living room on my favorite armchair calmly waiting for the Kaguya to finish with all of his tasks.

That was the plan until certain jinchuuriki appeared in front of me with a worried expression.

"I saw Kimimaro gathering a lot of storage scrolls…are you going to leave soon?"

I left my cup on the table before looking at her.

"Sadly yes, a sudden mission had been given and the duration might be between 1 to 2 weeks."

"I-I see but don't you need a team?" Fu didn't seem to take it well, so I motioned to take a seat next to me which she quickly complied.

"As a chunin, teams aren't necessary since it depends mostly on the difficulty of the mission and this one doesn't require others except for me and Kimimaro who will tag along."

"What am I supposed to do?"

I ruffed her hair with a smile trying to pass my positive energies to cheer her up even if it is a little.

"Don't give up, I believe in you."

Fu left out a sigh and looked at me.

"Can I go with you?"

I immediately shook my head, there was absolutely no way I could allow her to learn anything about what I really do.

"The idea is good but since you are in probation period you cannot give a single step outside Konoha."

"That sucks…" She looked dejected.

"You tell me...is Naruto around?" I stood up from my armchair and walked around checking my surroundings and the others rooms for people besides Kimimaro who seemed that finished with his first task.

"She is in her bedroom." She slowly stood up and grabbed my cup of unfinished tea and took a small sip from it.

I slowly took it away from her and drank everything in one go.

"Alright, be honest with me, had she done something to you?"

"What?"

"There is no need to lie, I am here to take care of you and ensure you aren't having any kind of problem. Naruto might be my dear imouto but also I recognize that I have spoiled her rotten so there is a lot of fixing to do here and there with her attitude."

Though even myself started to have some doubts after my last battle with her, for her to mature seems to be a hopeful situation from a distant future.

"..." She looks away, raising my suspicious as giving me a bitter taste.

"I won't tell her anything, but I cannot help you if you don't tell me."

My words reached her.

"Does she hate me?"

But Fu showed a few signs of depression.

"Did she do something bad to you?" I was getting genuinely worried for her and her future in the village.

"..."

Her silence could mean many things and how she avoided my eyes didn't help to counter my suspicious yet if she didn't want to tell me then I couldn't force her out of respect. And I couldn't go straight for answers with Naruto, she would connect the dots and probably do something harsh, the outcome which I wanted to avoid at all costs.

If only I had money I would have rented another apartment for her alone.

The stress building up again all over my head that my hand doesn't work at all to even attempt to help to deal with the stress, breathing exercises at least ease some of it.

"I recognize that she is the jealous type, but to hate?"

"Jealous?" Fu tilted her head in mild curiosity but she seemed to be confused by my hysterical laughing.

"She was very jealous when she met Jun for the first time, it was amusing at first but it got old pretty quick." For me to recall those events brought little amusement since it hindered my mission by a lot.

"Oh…"

I placed a hand on her shoulder bringing her closer to me, our eyes connected and honestly, those exotic eyes were truly hypnotizing to look at.

"Look Naruto is just Naruto there isn't much to do for her at the moment maybe in the future she will be different but right now she is like she is. I don't know what she did to you but I won't interfere in your business if you don't want to but remember that I made a promise to never leave you alone and I will make sure you become happy."

Fu looked at me not saying a single word to the point that I felt a little uncomfortable being stared at despite I was the first to start the staring contest.

However, It was quick not giving me any time to react by taking me by surprise the moment she grabbed my shoulder and pulled me down where my cheek was graced by a pair of soft lips.

My hand out of instinct went to the afflicted spot.

"Thanks, Kichiro-kun."

It feels different.

Yet it feels nice.

* * *

 _ **AN: I really wanted to do a wrestling move here, but laughs aside that particular finisher is really dangerous to both wrestlers that it had been banned from all pro wrestlings.**_

 _ **Guys! only 5 more to hit another milestone come on! Boost my narcissistic ego even more :D!**_

 _ **JK**_

 _ **Don't forget to leave a review or favs or follows!**_


	51. Chapter 52

_**AN: I said it before and I will say it again, the more stressed I get the more I try to write to deal with it but with holidays there and other activities to keep my stress and anxiety at bay writing becomes a bit difficult you know? Trying to get the monthly chapter when before I was posting daily** **chatter** **jeez the time surely change right?**_

 _ **Thanks for helping me reach another small milestone guys, could be possible before I finish this story reach the 1k?!** **Hahaha** **, dunno maybe?**_

* * *

Mixed feelings to describe myself for a brief period of time the moment I left through Konoha's gates with Kimimaro by my side. Fu was the only one to see me leave, and while it was rather touching the Anbu behind her kinda ruined the mood, if not I could have probably pulled a touchy scene just for the sake of reenacting and drama. But when Naruto wasn't there it simply hurt, didn't matter if she really couldn't come; she could always find a way but for the first time she didn't, perhaps she wa still sour about what happened and me being the person I am with my erratic schedule, her becoming increasingly displeased was obvious. What a great way sulk an entire journey knowing that you did something wrong.

I had been accustomed to only show care for a single person and with Fu sudden appearance just conflicted me in an unexpected way despite acknowledging emotionally involving myself while not trying to feel attached and then actually ending up caring while not wanting that outcome?

That train of thought is fucked.

Hard to describe my current state of mind, perhaps an attempt would be like being alive and dying at the same time. Putting something in a pedestal like your light in the darkness and when another source of light appears which one you will end up following till the end?

Life choices….whatever.

Too much philosophy fuckery and emotional moments.

Yet here I'm half naked laying on a bed, with only a towel hiding my shame while the beautiful angel known as Haku gives me a great time with her delicate hands, knowing the right spot where to touch. I could even dare to say that she is the best masseur in the entire world.

Her soft skin sends me chills all over my body like the snow, ironically she has the hyoton.

"Holy shit, right there!"

Her hands reached places that I didn't know relaxing entire areas of my body and all the stress build up immediately disappeared leaving my head all fuzzy but greatly pleased. She started with my back and my legs followed, again it was a blissful experience.

However, that massage was the beginning of her treatment long and very helpful treatment for my mental and physical health, because she brought out her needles and I saw how she carefully cleaned and sterilized them.

Acupuncture.

Kinda odd in a way and probably about some cultural discrepancies there and there but the moment she inserted one I simply didn't care anymore, time just passed as each needle she inserted.

"You are amazing Haku-chan."

I slightly turned my head to be greeted by a beautiful smile on her lips.

"I'm very happy to hear those words Kichiro-sama." One of her hands pushed my head down while the other inserted a needle somewhere on my neck, pleasure or shivers both felt weird in a good way.

"Just keep doing your magic," I muttered.

And another one was felt near the last needle.

Relaxation and small happiness were there.

It lasted until I heard an annoying knocking from the door, but all the anger disappeared in an instant since I knew who was the one behind the door, in other words, I could keep enjoying Haku's treatment without worries.

"Come in."

Sliding the door to the right Kimimaro figure appeared within my sight and entered the room before kneeling before me and kowtowing.

"Kichiro-sama, I need a moment of your time."

"Sure, just speak unless it needs privacy." Kimimaro lifted his head and looked at me with his neutral expression.

"No, it doesn't." After his reply, Haku resumed her work and proceed to my back and slowly going down."A group of four Kiri shinobis is staying at an inn."

His tone changed to a more serious one also catching my interest as well my attention, such variable could mean many things both good and bad and I always believe to the bad side. Spies or in wort of cases hunter nins in disguise, it would be terrible for Haku and for me since I would have to bring her back to Konoha for protection and I couldn't predict Fu response but Naruto's wouldn't just throw a hissy fit but would go mad to the point of actual violence against Haku despite knowing of her existence.

Bad parenting or lack of it, jealousy with spoiled attitude.

Terrible combination.

"Now that's odd, any else you want to add?"

"They weren't wearing any headband to identify themselves but I recognize some of their traits as Kiri shinobi."

"Are you implying that they are Kekkei Genkai users?" I frowned.

"Is highly possible, but I need more time to come to an adequate conclusion."

"Go ahead and gather as much information as possible without risking your safety. Any means to achieve this goal are allowed."

"As you wish."

He bowed and left me alone with Haku again who kept doing her magic with those delicate hands of her.

I closed my eyes and let the sweetness envelop me in a dream-like state for a moment, sleeping is such a good idea yet I cannot do that yet.

Massages are relaxing but also a pleasure to enjoy which help my mind to wander in many corners of my mind, n one of them I thought a lot about Haku.

"So Haku-chan, how is your training going?"

Her soft hands stopped working on my back for a brief moment before returned into action, I was simply enjoying her more and more. And the best part she is still young and opens for more knowledge.

"Is difficult to say but I believe I have improved."

A little vague from her art but I decided to lay down the issue for a moment so I could think for a proper solution.

"Should I personally test you?"

"I don't know, perhaps?"

What a terrible response from her part but I am more inclined to agree about a quick spar session with her, but feeling her magic on me over and over again made me put that aside until she could finish.

"In a couple of hours meet me at the courtyard, in the meantime let me enjoy this blissful experience."

Her magical hand returned on my neck all the way down to my back before inserting another needle somewhere in my vertical spine sending a powerful jolt which instantly relaxed another part of my body.

Is it weird that I am getting an erection?

So what happened there in the room was actually really rare and special occasion regarding the anatomy of the human body, Haku was baffled and embarrassed and for my case, I was just surprised how unlucky I was.

With her knowledge, she quickly removed said needle and inserted another which quickly got it down so no harm was done, still, it didn't diminish my surprise in the matter but I would put more thought into it at later date.

My current focus was on Haku abilities and strength, the reason for me to wait for her at the spacious courtyard of the mansion which would become our small controlled arena to test and judge.

Besides I couldn't lie, I was genuinely excited to face her in combat to have an idea of my capabilities since a lot of my power is really difficult to measure into the practical world and just make assumption even if I have been qualified as Medium chunin.

Theoretically speaking Haku is capable to defeat a jounin with her trump card, which gave me a perfect idea in how to test her, from my pockets I retrieved my gloves and put them for a snug fit.

Haku stayed behind while I went forward to the center of the courtyard where I did breathing exercises before I looked straight at her.

"Use your most powerful technique against me."

She was surprised at my request but nodded and changed her stance with her hands ready to perform all the necessary hand seals for her jutsu.

"Prepare yourself."

It took her three seconds to do all the hand seals.

" _Hijutsu: Makyō Hyōshō_!"

From the ground several ice mirrors rose from the ground around me creating a pseudo-tower, unsurprisingly I started to feel a little cold, a slight shiver down to my spine started to happen and I could see my breaths freezing.

From the small apertures between each mirror, I could barely see her figure slowly walking closer to my position before disappearing altogether.

Time to carefully work my magic.

"The hall of mirrors….in theory, you're invincible in this place."

All the mirrors showed her image looking at me from every possible direction to the weak-willed it can be a very terrible experience especially when the killing intent makes itself present.

"Nobody was able to break free or defeat me."

Then her image completely dissipated from my view leaving only my own reflection in the mirrors, the silence along with the increasing freezing temperature set the tension between us and since Wave is a humid place made didn't help with the dropping temperature.

And barely perception of the image of a shadow started to move above me over and over again.

"Your speed is amazing!"

I could barely see her silhouette even with the constant chakra channeling to my senses it becomes a very tedious task to attempt to follow her, the only way for me to keep up with her with my current level was to use the first stage of the lighting armor but I simply had little knowledge regarding the jutsu and if I were to try it I would fry my brain either way.

Showing off that's for sure, however, it game enough time.

"What?!" To say that she was shocked to find herself stopped right in the middle of her transition was an understatement, without context she would look that she was floating in the air.

For me, on the other hand, I was satisfied at how quick I was able to finish the web and trap the prey. Without holding back with both hands I took ahold of all strings and pulled them down bringing Haku crashing down to the ground.

I didn't lose any second and rushed to her while retrieving a chakra seal from my pockets which property was placed on her forehead.

"However speed means nothing against a web a narrow space, Fuin."

With the signal, Haku rolled her eyes to the back of head not even giving her a single second to struggle against my grip.

As ever my chakra seals disrupt the enemy chakra network and force them to fall unconscious to correct and regulate the mess.

A swift and overwhelming victory in a way to say at least, without the adrenaline working and the rush of battle, I could have lost if she would have attacked since the very beginning and not showing off her speed.

Haku just like Kimimaro is stronger than me.

But I should have asked for a fair fight rather than just straight up use her trump card, it wasn't exactly wise from my part if I wanted to test her full strength. There are many categories t finally decide strength overall.

Regrets later.

One look at her peaceful sleeping form told me enough that leaving her in the courtyard would be straight up cruel, without thinking it much I carefully lifted Haku unconscious form and carried her to her bedroom which wasn't that far from the courtyard unsurprisingly easy to find since it was the only one which possessed decoration and personal style and slight customization with curtains and many flower pots sorted by size.

I was a bit intrigued in her collection and how she had been taking good care of her plants but that shouldn't get my attention at the moment, Haku's well being was a priority; not like I did something really bad to her.

In a different way at least.

Slowly I placed her on the bed and took a seat on the wooden floor where I took deep breaths before beginning my yin-yang chakra training allowing the time to pass faster that it should be, it had been months since Jun gave me the training scroll after all.

I had properly learned the moves and stances but the most important part had very little progress even with Yamanaka help, that really felt underwhelming in so many levels.

But I couldn't give up, there was one thing missing and I had the feeling that I was reaching that one missing component for my training, unlike other time when I stopped out of frustration my meditation was interrupted when I heard Haku groaning as she woke up.

Quickly I went to her side and gently pushed her down, it was better for her health to remain on the bed a little longer, much to my surprise Haku immediately grabbed my hand and stopped me as her eyes locked with mine for a long uncomfortable minute.

"This technique had been perfected to be capable to defeat opponents stronger than me and yet to defeat me in seconds…"

With my free hand, I placed one finger on her forehead and slowly pushed her down so she could feel the pillow and rest a little more.

"There is nothing wrong with your jutsu, I simply happen to know how to effectively use my weapons in any situation."

"I don't understand." Haku finally released my hand which I used to bring out one of my gloves in front of her and channeled it a lot of chakra making all the strings connected visible to the naked eye.

She extended a hand to feel them and experience the weapon which defeated her so easily.

"Like puppeteers I use strings; however, mine need a catalyst which these gloves are for. So with you creating a reduced space around me, you gave me the perfect chance to immediately create an entire web with my strings, they can get strong as iron and sharp as a blade if I want to."

Her eyes widened at the realization of one of the biggest flaws of her techniques, if those string were in kill mode then Haku would have turned herself into small pieces without realizing it.

And I was reminded of the terrible fate of Kurenai, what a boomer. I haven't thought of Asuma too, how that guy had been dealing with losing Kurenai, what about Yugao or Anko? Those two supposedly were her friends and I haven't seen them or even heard about them.

The more I think the more depressing it can get.

"I never thought of that possibility."

Thankfully her sweet yet sad voice brought me back from the aura of depression, still, I hope that Hinata would be ready to leave the hospital by the time I return to Konoha, Naruto needs her friends while I need my connections alive and well.

Without thinking it twice I carefully lifted her chin with my hand, meeting her eye to eye while I smiled.

"Strength is not only skill and raw power you know? Surprisingly I found this little encounter rather useful to me and for you besides giving you a wake-up call not so much, so you shall face Kimimaro in battle. By the way, do not hold back."

Haku tilted her head in slight confusion.

"Is he that strong?"

Standing up from the bed I cleaned my hands on my clothes, Haku's doubts felt weird which I couldn't really explain why but I didn't want to spend a lot of time explaining to her why Kimimaro is considered strong.

My feet lead the way to the door.

"I have confidence in his abilities."

I closed the door leaving Haku alone with her thoughts, and for me, I felt my throat a bit dry and my stomach demanding for food.

Waiting for Kimimaro doesn't have to be a boring endeavor after all, and with a fridge rather full along with my own supplies a decent dinner for me is possible to accomplish. What a sad thing that nobody would be there to share that small moment with me, being there sitting with a lonely table with a plate of warm food and a cold drink showed me the solitude of life and reality which often I prefer to never bring it up.

I took a sip from my cup, hearing the floor dilate to my weight told how lonely is this world.

* * *

"I've returned Kichiro-sama."

Kimimaro entered the room with his words loud and clear, unknowingly breaking my concentration which didn't bring any positive results so I didn't mind. More frustration building up at my own failure.

"Any news?"

He kneeled with his head down.

"It was difficult because they are very cautious with their surroundings, but I learned that they had been staying in a cave at the beach however when I searched for the said cave but none of them had any traces or belongings. They probably just came a week ago before us and are very good at covering their tracks."

"Figures, while I'm a bit discouraged this kind of results are understandable only the smart can remain alive. Is important to gather more information about them but for the moment put them aside, I need you for another task."

Almost immediately he was on his feet.

"I shall follow."

"Test Haku fighting prowess and abilities, just like your sparring matches against Team 7. Both of you will face each other at the courtyard and she will not hold back by the way, I hope to see her full potential."

"Very well." Kimimaro bowed before leaving the room in a direction to his next battlefield.

In my case I went to Haku's room but right before I could knock the door, it was almost instantly opened which exposed Haku who was standing right in front of me with her Hunter-nin mask on and her gear. Without saying a word she passed through the entrance and closed the door behind before going in direction of the courtyard where her next opponent was patiently waiting for her.

Perplexed to see such reaction, this might be very important for her as a person and her ninja way, such attitude instead of her caring and the kind tone was new to me. But I didn't want to complicate myself and just followed her to the courtyard where Kimimaro was meditating.

Without saying a word he stopped his meditation and looked at Haku for a moment before removing his upper clothes since he always wears a yukata only untying a knot is enough.

He slowly walked to the improvised arena and took off his upper clothes, since he always wears a yukata he only needs to let loose a knot.

"I hope I can learn just as much as you will learn from this battle, show me the strength of your determination and willpower." With his line said he assumed a battle stance all of his attention focused on Haku.

She on the other hand just remained standing in her place, not adopting a single battle stance or at least pretend to use one. "We have differents paths but our means are the same, yet I believe my path is stronger and if defeating you is the obstacle I need to pass to show the world of my worth, then so be it."

An interesting choice of words, the type to make you think about the direction of your life is taking. But mine was already set, I looked at each of my followers standing against each other preparing for battle, it is exciting to witness a battle despite the outcome had been decided before it even began. Is like your typical movie, you only want to know how it will reach that end.

"Begin!"

The tension between the two could be felt in the air around us, yet Kimimaro showed such a calm and serene stance that the other fator didn't matter. At least for a couple of seconds before Haku was the one to do the first move.

I wished that I had the Sharingan to see the battle develop in slow motion and analyze it better but I can only confirm with chakra enhancing them, Haku speed without the mirrors could be tracked by my eyes thanks to my training.

With extended hands and senbons between her fingers, she tried to land a hit on KImimaro who just danced around her, evading and dodging witch grace and beauty. One of Haku's quick-strike aimed at his lower abdomen yet much to her surprise he easily sidestepped while grabbing her wrist and leaving her around in circles before throwing her away. With her hunter-nin mask is impossible to read her expression or read her emotional state to predict the next move. Kimimaro was aware of it, enough reason for him to remain in the defensive, Haku rather than press on the walk slowly walked in circles around him her stare right on him while he didn't bother to turn around, even more, insult to the shinobi pride he closed his eyes and proceeded to take deep breaths.

Haku immediately rushed at him using the speed and momentum to impulse herself from the ground which would increase the strength of her ax-kick, Kimimaro unfazed blocked the attack with his right arm while the other firmly grabbed her left ankle, Haku was floating in the middle of the air right at his mercy, a terrible position in a fight.

For the realization to come didn't need more than a second before she threw all her senbons at him, turning him into a human porcupine, probably hitting a couple of nerves since his hands released her allowing her to get away.

Kimimaro remained in the same position making me feel a bit anxious, nerve system is really powerful and also a great weakness powerhouse can be taken down if their brain cannot communicate with the rest of the body after all. He took deep breaths before all the senbons slowly started to fall off one by one without even touching them, it was watching dominoes rows.

Haku didn't seem to wait for him to fully recover his breath and from her large clothes more senbons were quickly brought out and thrown without second thoughts. Such situation could be bad if it wasn't by the little detail that unlike before they didn't strike at all, they just bounced off his skin as if they were hitting a wall.

When the last senbon fell off body his stern gaze immediately locked on Haku's form as he made his way to her position, if I was in her position I would try to flee his heavy steps along with his deadly aura were seriously overwhelming pressuring, perhaps too much for Haku to rationally think and stayed in place unknowingly waiting for his arrival.

And when she finally noticed the reality around her it was just too late to leave the boiling water, from that moment one can only wait for it to slowly consume you.

Kimimaro appeared to pounce on her forcing her to raise arms in defense, a classic mistake in case of panic, it was a clear opening which he didn't waste and his hands took her wrists by force.

After restraining both of her hands Kimaro overpowered her and brought her closer to him, his calm expression yet intimidating stared at her struggling form.

"I can tell that you are not an open fighter, your taijutsu is average at best. You should have changed tactics." Without losing another second cracking of bones were heard, but not Haku's; from his arms bones ripped his flesh and the bones increased in size and length sickeningly changing form to resemble a sickle which slowly the sharpest tip got closer to Haku's arms which were still trapped in his grip.

I was a bit perplexed at the ruthlessness of Kimimaro, he wasn't that cruel with Team 7 in their spar sessions, however, I didn't step in to stop them, being a witness was enough.

Haku, on the other hand, couldn't be a witness in how his bones were going to lowly made way inside her arms, her struggles were in vain. The closer they got the more desperate she became, as if she read my mind she quickly attempted to land a kick on his liver but before her foot could collide on Kimimaro body, his ribcage intervened and stopped her leg mid-air having another hold of her body.

As a last-ditch attempt Haku desperate time lead her to try to headbutt him right on his nose yet Kimimaro just meet her strike head-on literally which totally shattered her porcelain mask and cutting her forehead enough for it to bleed, from the distance I heard the collision and I could tell that the head, especially brain, considerable suffered damage.

My loyal follower sighed in disappointment and released Haku before grabbing her collar with one arm and throwing her away like a ragdoll, she, on the other hand, couldn't properly land despite trying and meet the ground with her face, her mouth know the taste of the dirt, the head collision disoriented her pretty bad.

Kimimaro character wasn't one to insult a warrior's fight, his code of honor was strong and as such he patiently watched Haku struggling form to stand up and properly adopt a fighting stance before he could continue with the fight.

"You have failed in hand to hand combat against me, you would have died or captured if I was the enemy, do not disappoint Kichiro-sama."

Slowly I walked to the right position in a better position to catch a glimpse of Haku's face, and my eyes saw a face contorted, eyes filled with ill intent. She was snarling at him, the blood leaking from her didn't seem to have any psychological effect at all, how much of a surprise she is resulting to be.

She brought her hands on the front and her hands performed may hand seal only to fall to her knees while clutching her head in pain, leaving me surprised at the sudden turn of events even Kimimaro seemed confused. Haku didn't seem to be faking her pain instead she endured the ordeal before throwing up, what an absolute miserable scene.

However Haku didn't give up, instead, she shakily stood up and with her senbons, she targets acupuncture points, since I had no idea how each of those points worked I had to assume that they could somehow nullify the pain or give a temporary boost.

"Interesting, your willpower is rather respectable." Kimimaro words were sincere and my thoughts as well, but I could only hope that the damage wasn't that severe.

Her ragged breath and shaky stances made me feel pity for Haku, in such state to keep fighting while admirable would be plain suicide and wouldn't help further the completion of the objective.

It would be a pity that the fight ended just like that, judging the human body Haku at most could hold out against him for a couple of minutes before her body would give in.

"Kimimaro stop."

And so he did, no objection or words.

"Catch!"

From my pouch I retrieved a soldier pill and threw it at Haku, sadly she couldn't react in time and landed at her feet.

Haku immediately grabbed the pill from the ground and swallowed it without hesitation even if it was covered in dirt.

"Continue."

And Haku went to a complete one hundred eighty degrees change, her eyes immediately locked on Kimimaro before doing a series of fast hand seal which sequence I immediately recognized, though I felt a bit disappointed that it just went there that quick, I wanted more action, more material to analyze.

Just like I have experienced, the ground shook as from the ground several mirrors rose from the ground creating a circle around Kimaro who just stood there looking at his new surrounding with the tranquility of mind.

"Your most powerful technique?"

Kimimaro looked around for anything to deduce and defuse the situation before attempting to strike the ice mirrors and receive a powerful backlash in the form of ice bullets keeping him focused in dodging and blocking such barrage of attacks.

Haku, on the other hand, started with her mirror dance jumping from the mirror to mirror with the incredible speed that Kimimaro couldn't catch up with her, every time she jumped she managed to land a hit on him followed by another barrage of ice bullets.

At mere glance without any knowledge, one could believe that Haku is winning and her advantage has been decided but the reality is another, Kimimaro didn't have a single scratch on his body, his bones had been receiving and nullifying all the damage.

The dance between the two inside the hall of mirrors didn't change in patterns only in speed, slowly increasing the speed of each attack.

"This is indeed a powerful jutsu, and problematic as well but..." Kimimaro eyes immediately locked on a specific mirror. "How long can you keep it up?"

In that exact mirror, Haku emerged yet I could tell that her speed was slower compared to her movements earlier. And if I could see it with a single glance then what about Kimimaro expertise in combat?

"Too slow."

He side stepped her next attack and almost instantaneously got a strong grip on her right ankle before slamming her to the ground.

She gasped for air but before she could get up to initiate her own counter-attack to salvage such blunder, Kimimaro was already on to of her with one his sharp bones shaped above her neck ready to cut a fresh and vulnerable throat.

"Is over, you shall not disappoint any further than this, I will not allow it."

Both remained looking at each other eyes for a moment before Haku let out a defeated sigh and gently moved the bone away from her neck.

I clapped twice to get their attention and my gaze went directly to Kimimaro first.

"Good job both of you, especially you Kimimaro, you never disappoint me." My eyes turned to my second follower but with slight disappointment, after all, expected a little more from her. "But you Haku, what did you learn?"

She felt it, I could tell.

On her knees looking absolutely crushed, a pitiful look for a girl of her caliber especially is rather depressing to see a beautiful girl being in such state.

"I...I am weak, I thought I was strong that my beliefs would give me strength to overcome any obstacle but now I understand how wrong I was."

Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes.

I wanted to say something but Kimimaro was first to act and extended her a helping hand getting her attention.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of, weakness can be overcome. This is only the beginning to your new path, Kichiro-sama will be there to guide you and I shall help without seconds thoughts. He saw potential in you and wants you by his side if not you wouldn't be alive, stand by his side and be ready to witness the birth of a new world."

His words slightly touched my heartstrings, how sweet of him, I couldn't help my lips but form a warm smile and patted his back.

"Well he summed up my entire speech, there is a lot to talk and a lot to teach you but I'm a bit hungry so I will cook something for all of us, there is so much to do in this world one just cannot take on the world with a hungry stomach."

Haku's quickly became drenched in her own sadness before giving a smile and accepting Kimimaro hand who quickly pulled her up.

"Welcome aboard Haku-chan."

* * *

 _ **Since 400 favs the next chapter will be a "What if", and alternate Universe since the idea stuck in my head and was annoying me a lot so writing it down helped me to deal with it and I couldn't just let it there.**_


End file.
